Rag Doll
by EmeraldDragon1
Summary: In a Ralts evolution society, high-class Blade has everything he could ever want, except love. Rose, a Gardevoir, has nothing besides her family and few friends. Join them through the good times and the bad as they try to overcome the differences of where they were born. (Got this idea off the song Rag Doll, by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons).
1. Chapter 1

**Rag Doll, Chapter 1**

**Well, I'm back with another story. I hope everyone will follow this one as it progresses, as I plan on using music in this one. It is pretty much going to consist of love songs, since this is a romance. I don't know how long it's going to be, but I guess we'll all see soon enough! If any one has any questions **_**at all**_**, please let me know. I want everyone to be comfortable when reading this story, preferably feeling the love with all the characters. So, why don't we get started?**

**DISCLAIMER; I own my ideas and some of the pokemon games, but not pokemon itself.**

Blade's POV

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I couldn't help but admire it as I stood on the balcony of the highest floor on my parent's house. I was having lunch with them, as is our custom. I looked out over the edge and saw the little city spread out before me. My parents were at the top of the social ladder around here. Perhaps I should explain a little better, hmm?

I live in a Ralts evolution society. Only those of the Ralts evolution line were allowed to take residence in this city. My parents started it about thirty years ago, or so they told me. I had always loved this spot because it is very serene up here. I caught a glimpse of the lower end of the social ladders; the slums of our city.

I didn't like to think of it as the slums. Those pokemon were as much living, breathing creatures as I was, they just didn't have the means to support themselves the way my parents did. My parents, however, took a completely different view of the slums. They told me when I was young that the residents of the slums were as dirty as their streets. I had visited there only once, officially. But I often snuck down by myself to get a better idea of how everyone lived, since I was so curious at the time.

I saw that the streets were indeed dirty, but the people were not nearly as bad. And what they lacked in money they made up for with friendship, kindness, and understanding. I saw close relationships between store owners and their friend's children. All in all, my heart was warmed by the sights I had seen in the slums.

When I returned home from my first excursion, I excitedly told my parents what I had discovered; needless to say, they were pissed with me. They spent the next fifteen minutes yelling about how the slum society was far beneath me, that I was never to travel there again, and to finally go take a bath to scrub the filth off of me. While I was bathing, I vowed that I would help the people of the slums so they could all live a better life, so my parents wouldn't think so badly of them.

I soon came to realize that was going to be harder than I thought, but my determination didn't waver. When I snuck out of the capacious mansion my parents called home (without their knowledge, of course) I would take exorbitant amounts of money with me which I would try to disperse evenly among the people of the slums. They eventually figured out who I was, and they were initially surprised, but they granted my request of keeping my secret safe. Eventually, they came to love me as they did themselves; I had been accepted among them, and this touched me more deeply than had any of their thanks when they received some money or something they could sell or barter. I often wondered how long I could keep this charade up, keeping the information away from my parents. But they were surprisingly dim for psychic types. They never really suspected a thing; they ignored the most basic of their abilities. When they asked me where I was going day after day, I simply told them I was exploring the town so that I would have a good idea of what I would be ruling when the time came, as well as searching for a potential mate. I was absolutely disgusted by this answer, and I did my best to hide it, but it didn't seem to matter. When I told them this, they beamed at me, and then my father said

"Atta boy, Blade! Thinking ahead, just like his father!"

I simply nodded my head and kept smiling, though it was difficult to keep that smile plastered on my face. And I mean, _really _difficult. What I actually wanted to do was slap the both of them to their senses, but I couldn't do that. I also took precautionary steps afterward, such as taking a bath every time I got home, claiming to be sweaty because I was also training to be a Gallade, which I wanted to evolve to. This was actually true, because I did want to be a strong Gallade, and to lead with equanimity instead of status alone. I wanted my people to remember me as the best ruler that our society had or ever will.

When the time arrived and I became… well, interested in girls, I looked everywhere, but especially the slums. I didn't care what my parents thought, the girls from the middle classes were all only looking for more power and wealth. I, on the other hand, was looking for love. Maybe it was a bit strange to be thinking like that at my age, but my time among the citizens of the slums had taught me that true love can overcome any obstacle. I saw the happiness that was shared by the Gallade and Gardevoir, and even occasionally the older male and female Kirlia.

I knew that, if nothing else, the higher classes could learn a thing or two from these "lesser people". What Taurosshit that was. In my opinion, these people were better than all those who claimed to be above them, and I didn't hesitate to tell them that. They were glad for the compliment; it meant a lot to them. And so did I. At least if my parents exiled me for associating with the slummers, I would have them to come to. They promised me that, so I was happy. I didn't plan on getting caught, though, because I still wanted to help them as much as I could.

Back in the present, I was still looking over the balcony when I felt my father's presence behind me. A look of disgust flitted across my face, but I quickly disguised it with a big, fake smile.

"Hello, Blade. Up here again, eh?" he asked me. I turned to him, still with my fake smile, and said

"Well, it's a beautiful view up here. I love looking out over the city and seeing everything that's within it."

"Excluding the slums, of course" my father said, joining me.

It was really hard at that point not to punch my father in the side of his smug face, but I managed to hang on without giving myself away.

"So, have you found a mate yet?" he asked me, not looking at me. I rolled my eyes; we had been on this subject many, many times, and my answer still hadn't changed, but I think it was about to.

"Not yet, dad" I said in exasperation. Then he looked at me and told me

"Why? Why are you waiting?" This time I was going to say it, I was really going to do it and finally get it off my chest.

"I'm waiting for true love." My father stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing. Ooh, he was really asking for it. When he got his breath back, he stated

"My boy, there will be plenty of time to love your mate once you've got her. But I want to see some grandchildren before I die. You wouldn't want to deny your dear mother and I of that privilege, now would you?"

"_If it means keeping other children from your poisonous words, then yes" _I thought. But I verbally said

"Of course not, but-"

"Well, then, you better get busy. I know of some girls who would be delighted to have you as their mate. After all, you have proven yourself at the contests, even when you were a Kirlia!"

The contests were a series of competitions that pitted us against each other to see who was the strongest. Never to the death, but only by way of knockout or tap-out. Everyone was welcome, even the slummers, but they never won. But that really didn't matter to them.

"So, get busy. After all, you're not getting any younger and you only live once. Now come inside, lunch is ready." And he left me there with my thoughts.

The smile wiped off my face in an instant, and I punched the marble of the balcony, regardless of the harm to my hand. I knew Recover, so I healed myself and observed my mark. I was definitely getting stronger; I was beginning to make a dent in the marble. Then, sighing, I turned away from the beautiful scene before me and headed down to lunch.

**Well, that's the first chapter finished. What did you guys think? Please review and let me know, then wait eagerly for the next one. And I will say this again; Send me any questions that you have. I seriously would not mind having an inbox full of questions from you guys. Peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Rag Doll, Chapter 2**

**Heya, it's me again! I'm excited about this new story; I can't wait to see where it goes. Being the author, though, I control where it goes. It's a little confusing, isn't it? Well, no matter. Let's get a little more insight here, shall we?**

Rose's POV

I was walking along the streets, making my way to the vendors. I was still slightly unaccustomed to my new body; I had evolved just last week. It's a good thing, too; my parents had been starting to worry that I would never evolve, it seemed to be putting itself off, and the local doctor couldn't explain why.

Nevertheless, I had evolved and that was that. Being somewhat taller than before, I saw things a bit differently. I was now as tall as the other Gardevoirs, and the Gallades were still taller than me, but they didn't tower over me anymore. It was an odd feeling, to say the least.

I grew up in the slums, and while I have no particular love for the filthy streets, I love the people here. Many of the children needed a bath, though. But I could hardly point fingers, my dress was totally dirty. Still, the children looked happy, if a bit underfed.

I was heading to the vendor's stall to buy some more food for my family, bread and berries and the like. Fortunately, my father had received a bit of money from the high-class boy who traveled here often. If I remember correctly, his name is Blade**, **and he's very kind to those of us who live in the slums. I never actually met him in person, but I would love to, if only to give my thanks that my family would have a little more to eat this week due to his generosity.

I have few friends, but would he like to be one of them? Maybe. After all, he has made great friends with many of the people here, where most everyone in his class sees us as the dirt that covers our roads. That's hardly fair in my opinion. Just bring them down to our level and see how long they survive, and then would they call us trash anymore?

"_But that would never happen"_ I sighed ruefully.

I finally reached the market, located a good friend of my father's, and walked over to his stall.

"Hello, ma'am, what can I do you for?" he asked rather formally.

"Petey, don't you recognize me anymore?" I said in mock disapproval. He scrutinized my eyes closely, and then his got really wide as he whispered

"Rose, is that you?" I giggled a little, then replied

"Now you're getting it."

"Rose!" Petey shouted. "It's good to see you again, child! It's been about, what, a week now? When did this happen?"

"The day after I visited you." I replied.

"Well, congratulations to you Rose! Are you happy with your new form?" I shrugged and replied

"It's okay, but I'm still not quite used to it, yet." Petey nodded, then said

"Give it time, you'll learn." With that, I placed my order for the week, getting a bit more than we usually did, and this fact was not lost on Petey.

"Ah, you got a little visit from Blade, didn't you?" I thought for a second, then responded

"Well, my father did. I never actually saw him myself, I was busy working the garden. Why? Have you seen him?" He nodded excitedly and said

"Oh, yes, many a time! In fact, he sometimes buys from my stall, then starts handing out the food to all the children that hang around. May Arceus grant him a long, long life, he has a blessed heart. He even showed me where to find the best berries, and how to cultivate them to make them even tastier and last longer, but he requested that I keep my prices fair, so that everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy them. After all the help he gave me, how could I say no?"

"He sounds like a real guardian angel for us" I said wistfully.

"He's an absolute godsend." Petey responded in the same tone.

"Now then, is that everything you need, child?" he asked me.

"Yes, this should do fine until next week, and maybe a little longer, if daddy gets better soon." Petey nodded, then said

"Alright, you take care now. Say hi to the family for me, and let your father know I'll be praying to Arceus for him."

"Thank you!" I said as I made my way out of the little market and toward my home. It was a little ramshackle house that my father had built with his own two hands. It was a bit small, considering that my parents, myself, and my two younger siblings lived there, and we had another on the way. Mom always did love children, but sometimes I wonder if she's thinking about how this will affect us. Father had been planning to add to the house, make some new additions, but he fell sick and hasn't been able to leave his bed since. We pray to Arceus that he'll get better soon, and he does, bit by bit. Until he can move around on his own again, though, my mother and I are taking care of things. It's not easy, what with two children, a sick man, and a whole house to take care of, especially with my mother being pregnant and all, but we managed.

On my way, I spotted my best friend, Joy, and her mate Jasper. They had gotten together when they were still Ralts. We all teased them about it, saying it was nothing more than puppy love. But they didn't listen, and they became an official couple when they both became Kirlia. Then we started accepting the validity of their love, and before we knew it, they evolved again and got married. There was much celebrating that day; we consider a relationship to be sacred, because if you had someone to love, you could get around the fact that you lived in the slums.

"Hi Joy, hi Jasper!" I shouted in their direction. They stopped gazing at each other long enough to look at whoever had called them, and when they saw me, their eyes went as wide as Petey's did.

"Rose, is that you?" Joy asked me incredulously. I giggled again and said

"You caught on much faster than Petey did."

"Rose, it's good to see you again! Look at you, all evolved now." Jasper said to me.

"Thanks, I was wondering if it was ever going to happen." I told him.

"When did it happen?" Joy asked me eagerly.

"Last week."

"Well, congratulations!" she practically squealed as she hugged me tight.

"Thanks. So, what's new with you guys?"

"Nothing much, been fixin' up our house, trying to make it look decent." Jasper told me tiredly.

"Don't we all?" I wondered out loud.

"Yeah." Joy said. "So, how's your father, is he getting any better?" she asked me with genuine worry behind her expression.

"Yeah, he's getting better, but slowly." I told her.

"At least he's getting better." Jasper said confidently.

I knew that these two really cared about my family, which was why they were my best friends. We all cared for each other in one way or another.

"Well, it's been great seeing you two again, but I should get home now, my mother will be expecting me soon."

"All right, take care" they both responded simultaneously. I continued on my way home, and when I arrived I said loudly

"I'm back!" My mother peeked out of the kitchen, and upon seeing me said

"Oh good, my feet are killing me, could you take over?" Without a word, I walked to the kitchen and began washing the dishes where she had left off while she worked with the groceries.

"Oh good, you bought some more sitrus berries, these will help your father greatly." I nodded to her, saying

"Yeah, those came from Petey's stall, who says hi, by the way. Apparently, he cultivates them now since Blade showed him how, so they should last longer and taste better, or so he says." My mother's eyes lit up at the information, and she said

"So, Blade's been helping Petey out, too? First he generously gives us money, asking nothing in return, and then we learn he's been helping Petey give us better food." I could see tears rolling from her eyes as she closed them, pressing a berry to her breast as she whispered

"Why can't there be more people like him?" I looked out the window and asked myself the same question.

"_Yes, why can't there be more people like him?"_

**Well, that's chapter two up and running! Read and review, tell me what you think so far!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Rag Doll, Chapter 3**

**So, here we go again. I'm really happy how this story is taking off. If any of you are wondering, yes there will be music, eventually, but I don't exactly know what chapter that will start. It could be this chapter, next chapter, or even twenty chapters from now! It all depends how on well I can work the story, and of course, when I feel the time is appropriate. So, let's move on to the story.**

Blade's POV

I really didn't like eating with my parents. I had a house of my own, but they insisted on paying for it, so as a result, I have to eat with them, especially on special occasions. Today _wasn't _a special occasion, thank Arceus, or else I would be stuck talking about the future they wanted me to have. And after the conversation with my father, I wasn't in the mood to deal with that. So I kept quiet as we ate.

Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, but they just infuriate me with their ideals of being better than everyone else. Fortunately, I had been in a good mood. I had recently given more than my usual amount to a family that had a sick father and a pregnant mother. I felt that they could use the extra help, and I planned to visit them again and give them a bit more, if necessary. They had the two most energetic children I had ever seen, a daughter that was a Kirlia, and a son that was still a Ralts. They ran around the little house faster than I believed possible.

From what I understood, they had another daughter named Rose, who had recently evolved into a Gardevoir, but I had no time to meet her, for I had many other families to visit. Still, the mother made sure that I knew that they were grateful for my help, and I told them it was no problem, I was glad to help in any way possible, and if they ever needed me, all they had to do was ask.

I sincerely hoped that the father would recover. I considered using my powers to help restore him, but I hadn't been sure if it would work. When I visited again, I resolved to ask if they would let me try. Suddenly my mother interrupted my thoughts by asking

"You're awfully quiet today, Blade. Is there something wrong?" Jolted out of my thoughts, I quickly scrambled to come up with an answer.

"Uh, no, no, nothing's wrong, mother, I'm just thinking."

"About what, dear?" Lost, I quickly went for the conversation I had had earlier with dad.

"Well, dad was saying earlier that I should find a mate soon, but I told him I was waiting for love." My mother looked sharply at my father and said

"Harold, have you been bothering the poor boy again? If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, things will run their course, and you shouldn't rush anything on him. Do you understand me?" My father nodded shyly and said meekly

"Yes, dear." My mother and I laughed at his reaction, then we continued eating in silence. I caught a glare from my father which said

"_You're going to pay for that."_

I smiled and continued eating. See, we had our moments of connection. It was only whenever they started putting down the slums or trying to convince me to get married that I got mad at them. Still, they were parents, so I guess I couldn't expect less for marriage. But then there were our differences in opinion about the slums. After I began visiting the slums on a regular basis, I tried to convince them that if they gave them a chance, the people could actually be quite charming. They were suspicious about why I would think such a thing, as if I was _associating_ with them. I had lied and said that I tried talking to them when we had officially visited. Then they dropped the subject, but only after telling me not to mention such nonsense again.

I looked forward to my impending visit. After a close call in which my parents nearly caught me, I had created a secret tunnel that only I could find and open. So, even if my parents found it, they wouldn't be able to tell where it went. Though there was nothing that would stop them from putting up a guard to detain me. I pushed the thought aside; I had been careful all these years, but I was not about to start relaxing.

After we finished lunch, I said my good byes and left, telling them I was going out to train for the contests, which were about six months away. They accepted my lie without question, and I was on my way.

I had only gotten about five hundred yards from the mansion, though, when I heard a deceptively seductive voice call out my name.

"Blade! Oh, Blade!"

"_Oh, no" _I groaned to myself. Not her, not now.

When I turned around, I saw a Gardevoir running up to me. This particular Gardevoir's name was Rachel, and she thought she was the most beautiful Gardevoir in the city and never hesitated to say so. In my opinion, she was okay-looking, but her personality was horrible. She often acted like a child, pouting and fake-crying when she didn't get her way. I expected that from a little Ralts, not an adult Gardevoir.

She caught up with me and I said in exasperation

"Hello, Rachel."

She began to pout, which irritated me right off the bat, but I didn't say anything.

"Now is that any way to treat your future bride?" she asked me in a pouty little girl voice, and I was almost sure she could hear me grinding my teeth in irritation. Calming myself, I asked her

"Who told you that you were my future bride?" thinking I already knew the answer.

"Your father, of course, silly!" she teased me.

"_Well played, dad." _I thought. I knew that he found Rachel to be immature, and he knew I found her to be irritating. So to set her up on me, not actually meaning for her to marry me, but simply in punishment for ratting him out to mom, which wasn't all that surprising. Still, I couldn't have her hanging around me where I was planning to go, so I suddenly took off in a random direction. I knew these streets like the back of my hand, but Rachel hardly ever left her house, so I knew she wouldn't be able catch up with me, much less find me. I stopped after a minute, taking a sharp, sudden turn into an alley. I could hear her trying to keep up with me. She was panting heavily, while I wasn't even winded. The benefits of all that training.

When she came close to my hiding place, I held my breath. After a couple of seconds, she turned away, grumbling

"And everyone says Gallade are masters of courtesy. Yeah, right!"

I smirked, then made my way to my secret tunnel behind the city walls. I had found a cave while exploring here a while back, and I thought that it would be an excellent spot for a hideout or a secret base. After my close call with my parents, however, I decided it would make for an excellent tunnel to the slums.

I pried away the huge rock using the blade on my right arm. The only reason I could open this tunnel was because I had carved a groove in the rock that perfectly concealed the entrance so that only a Gallade could open it, and since none of the other Gallades in the city were as strong as me, it was a pretty safe bet that my tunnel was safe from detection. But I still looked around with my psychic powers to ensure no one was around. Satisfied, I disappeared into my tunnel, carefully closed the door, and continued on my way, my mood improving with each step I took.

**Okay, chapter 3 is done. Let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Rag Doll, Chapter 4**

**I don't have much to say here besides, enjoy!**

Rose's POV

I had finished the work around the house and was preparing my father his lunch, which would consist mostly of sitrus berries, as well as a couple of other healing berries of various kinds to address any possible problems. My father had always been there for me in hard times. Now I was returning the favor. The doctor couldn't tell us if what he had was contagious or not, so we tried to take the least amount of risk as possible. My mother wasn't allowed near him, which was tortuous to both of them, and the children couldn't play with him, though he desperately wanted to. I was really his only link to the outside world, and I hated to see him like this, so I put as much of my love into the dish as I could, hoping that would help.

When I brought the tray into him, he looked up at me and smiled, glad to see me.

"Ah, hello Rose. What brings you to my humble room?" He liked to tease me like that, but I didn't mind.

"Lunch is served, daddy." I sent the tray over to him using my psychic powers, then sat in the threadbare chair close to the door. As much as I hated it, I couldn't take any chances, either. But at least I could still talk to him. I knew he relied on my visits as much as I did.

He took a bite of the berry stew, and his eyes grew wide.

"Mmm, this is delicious!" he said to me. "Who made this?"

"Mom did," I responded "But I added a lot of love" I finished shyly.

"Well, thank you very much, I love it." He finished the stew with gusto, then asked me

"So, how's everyone doing?"

I told him how Alex and Jenny, my little brother and sister, were as energetic as ever, which was making it hard for my mother to teach them. We didn't have schools here in the slums, so parents had to teach their children about the facts of life and such. I mentioned that Petey wished him well, and so did Joy and Jasper. I also gave other, smaller bits of information that weren't important, but he was glad to hear them nevertheless.

When I was finished telling him everything, I gathered up the dishes with my psychic powers, but before I could leave, my father stopped me.

"Rose, wait." I turned on my heel, facing him.

"Yes, daddy?"

"Thank you, for everything you're doing. I know it must be difficult for you, but I want you to know that I really appreciate your efforts. I'm sorry that I'm so useless right now."

First I smiled, then I had a frown on my face.

"Don't talk like that daddy. You are not useless in the slightest degree. It was you who made this house with your bare hands, and with almost no one's help. It was you who raised me to be who I am now. And I am more than happy to help my only father. Get well soon, dad. Have a nice rest now, and don't worry, things will pick up, you'll see."

He nodded in agreement and said

"Thanks, baby girl. That means a lot to me. Good night, see you for dinner." And with that, he immediately fell asleep. Smiling, I closed the door softly and made my way to the kitchen to wash the rest of the dishes. My mother was waiting on me, for a status report, no doubt.

"Well? How is he?" she asked me with worry in her eyes. As I put the dishes in the sink, I said

"It looks like he's doing better, but he's still weak. And he's starting to feel useless because he has to lay in bed all day."

My mother nodded sadly, understanding. When she gave birth to me, her body was unprepared for the strain, so she was bedridden for six months on end, though she still managed to take care of me, insisting that my cradle be put right next to her bed. So she understood how my father felt, and wanted him to be better soon to get him out of this slump. I finished the dishes and said

"I'm going out for a while; I heard there was a wild sort of garden out towards the woods that grows spices and herbs."

"Okay, honey. Be safe!" she called out to me.

"Always!" I called back to her. I gathered my basket and set out for the wooded area just beyond our home.

Blade's POV

I exited my tunnel, coming out in the woods near the entrances to the higher class portion of the city and the lower classes. I checked carefully around, then entered the lower class slums. I started walking over to the market, thinking to begin there. I wanted to make sure that the children that ran around the area were well fed for today, if I could help it.

When I made it to the market, I was immediately spotted and recognized.

"Hey, it's Blade!"

"Blade, where?!"

Many calls of this nature were roaming around, and in less than a minute almost everyone was gathered around me, not asking for handouts, for which I was grateful, but instead to say hi to me, to ask how I was, how long would I be staying. I tried to answer as best I could, but it was hard with all these people gathered up around me. Finally, a Gallade that I recognized as Petey cut through the masses of people, saying

"All right, all right, let the poor guy breathe! He's not even here for a minute and everybody's already crowding around him. How are you?" he asked me, leading me out of the throng.

"Pretty good. Thanks for saving me. That was unexpected. I almost feel like a celebrity or something, you know?" He nodded in understanding and replied.

"Well around here, you are a celebrity. Everybody knows who you are because of your generosity. But really, how long do you think you can keep it up? Your parents are sure to find out soon, and then they'll banish you and probably punish us for accepting your money." I shrugged.

"I don't care what happens to me, all I care about is that everyone has an equal chance at life."

"And you wonder why you're considered a celebrity here?" he asked sardonically. We both shared a good laugh at that, and by the time we stopped, we had reached Petey's stall. He sat in his place and asked

"So, anything here that interests you?" I looked over his selection, which had grown since the last time I saw it.

"You have some new varieties today" I stated. He nodded and replied

"Yep. Figured out how to breed the plants together to make some new berries, but I always test them myself before I sell them. Want to her about some of them?" I nodded my head, interested, as I sat in front of his stall.

"Well, this blue and purple one here has an interesting effect. It can heal both burns and paralysis, and it's mighty sweet, too. Here, try one." I took the berry in my hand and took a small bite out of it. It did have a very sweet flavor, but it was also tinged with spiciness.

"That's pretty good" I told him. Nodding, he continued.

"This squared green and red one though, can cure poison and infatuation, but it's horribly bitter." I smiled wryly at that.

"Don't all infatuations turn out bitterly?" I joked.

We both had another good laugh at that one. This continued on for about half an hour, him telling me about all the new berries he had bred with pride, me avidly listening with genuine interest. After he was finished, I bought some food and began to distribute it among the children who had gathered to listen to our conversation. Each child thanked me with a wide smile, which I easily returned. It was easy to see that they appreciated my gestures of kindness, but at the same time, I got a pang of guilt whenever I saw how dirty everyone was.

When I finished, I sat back down in front of Petey's stall, and he had a wide but somber grin.

"You see? You buy food from me, then give all of it to the little ones. I would gladly give all my wares to them, they look so starved, but I do have to make a living. You understand."

I nodded slowly. Of course he had to make a living, I don't want anyone to have to sacrifice themselves or their means of income. My mind was still on the subject of the grubbiness of the citizens of the slum, though, which Petey picked up on.

"You look distracted, is something wrong?" I thought for a second, then lowered my voice to a point where Petey had to lean in to hear what I was whispering.

"I really don't want to be offensive, but the hygiene around here is horrible. Don't you know you can easily get sick like this?" Then I sat back, worry etched on my face, hoping Petey wouldn't take it badly. As luck would have it, he nodded in understanding and told me

"It's not as easy as that. You see, we don't really have a running water system. We have a river that runs through the woods behind us, and it's clean, but it's just too much of a hassle to drag everything over there at once, and it's tedious to make multiple trips. If we had a running system, I'm sure our hygiene would improve vastly."

I frowned in concentration. Of course, my parents wouldn't have cared about the systems of the slums. But these people had every right to live in good health, if they couldn't live in happiness. Plans for an aqueduct system leapt to my head immediately, and I considered them, but I knew that I would have to draw them out when I got home. For now, I had to meet with that family again, perhaps this time in full.

I said goodbye to Petey and went on my way.

**Well, I got nothing else to say besides review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Rag Doll, Chapter 5**

**Okay, got another one comin' for ya! Try to keep up!**

Blade's POV

I had been walking down the roads, looking up and down them as I planned out the aqueduct that I knew had to be placed here, for the sake of these citizens. With it, they could enjoy a new feeling of cleanliness. With it, they would be able to wash down their streets that everyone insulted. With it, they could create a new life for themselves.

I finally arrived at my destination, the house I had visited before. I smiled as I imagined that the mother's children would probably tackle me to the ground once the door was opened. Suddenly I heard war cries, and before I could even turn around, the selfsame children pounded me on the back, sending all of us to the ground. They recovered faster than I did and began to straddle me, the Kirlia holding on to my legs and pulling them back, while the little Ralts hung on to my arms and did the same for all he was worth.

I heard a door open, then a shriek. It had to be the mother, coming out to see what the commotion was and finding her children dog piling their savior. The thought and her expression made me laugh, though the Ralts' pull on my arms effectively stopped that.

"Alex! Jenny! Get off him NOW!" their mother yelled out. They jumped off immediately, looking chastised. Wanting to keep the mood light, I said

"Aww, why'd you do that? I had 'em on the ropes." The children began laughing uproariously, and the mother's face grew a small smile, despite being cross with her children. She ran down and helped me up, saying

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry they attacked you like that. Here, you two apologize to him, right now!" I was about to protest, but the little Ralts, who I assumed was Alex, looked up to me and said

"You didn't have us on the ropes!"

I began laughing again, enjoying the moment. Children had always been a delight to me. They often said the funniest things, without knowing the truth. And all children possessed a grace and innocence not seen in adults, which made them worth having, in my opinion anyway. And I believed that the mother felt similar to how I felt, since she was on her fourth.

She graciously invited me inside, so I scooped up her children and carried them in, still having fun with them. When we got to the kitchen, I set them down and they ran off, laughing the entire time. Their mother smiled when this happened, and she offered me a seat, which I accepted. She handed me a glass of Oran berry juice, which I gratefully took and drank from, liking the homemade flavor. She sat opposite me, and we began to speak.

"So," she started "I want to thank you again for all the help you've given us." I waved a hand, saying

"Think nothing of it. I am glad to help where others will not. In fact, I have plans coming along that might help you and the rest of the slums" I said, putting distaste on the word "slums".

She noticed this and asked me

"What's wrong?" I shook my head and told her

"I don't like that word, slums. Especially how the upper-class uses it. They mean it in a derogatory fashion, calling you low. I can't stand it. So, I plan on building an aqueduct, which will bring water in from the river to your part of the city. It won't be a perfect running water system, but it should help improve your way of life, if you all choose to accept, of course."

She gasped lightly at this, surprised that I would do such a thing. She considered something for a moment, then said

"Come, I think you should consult with my husband on this."

"Why?" I asked, standing.

"He is a genius when it comes to architecture. Do you know, he built this whole house, mostly by himself? It wasn't an easy project, but it's stood up pretty well against dangers such as storms and the like."

Looking around, I began to interpret the patterns of the house, and to my surprise they were well built. This seemed like a good idea, talking with an architectualist. Soon we arrived at a small room. The mother of the children (I really must learn her name) opened the door softly and called to her husband, saying he had a guest. Then she turned to me and said

"Go ahead, he's waiting for you." I smiled and replied

"Thank you, miss…?"

"Oh, my name is Jane."

"Thank you, Jane."

I went into the room, which was surprisingly warm considering that the house had no proper insulation. I saw a Gallade lying on the bed, looking rather ill. I recognized him as the Gallade I had met before, though he had looked better then. I said nothing, however, other than

"Hello, how do you do?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Blade, was it?" I nodded in confirmation.

"So, what can I do for you?" I brought a chair that was sitting next to the door of the room over to the bed and sat in it, then looked him in the eye and told him

"I'm planning to build an aqueduct for the lower-class citizens, and your wife told me I should talk to you." He seemed stunned, silent. He was surprised at my declaration, no doubt. But he held my gaze even as I held his, and I could tell he was searching for any misgivings, but he found nothing.

"You- you're serious?" I nodded.

"Well, I can help you draw up some plans, if this is truly your intention, but beyond that I am afraid I am of no use to you. I have been bedridden for two months now, I'm sure you remember my condition from last week when you visited us."

I nodded, then pushed forward.

"I have another idea. I can use Recover, and the last time I was here, I wanted to heal you. However, I thought it might have been rude to ask. Given what I want to do, though, and the fact that you are an architectualist, I need your help with this project. I want to help you, but I can't without your consent. What do you say?"

He thought about my proposal, then turned to me with his answer.

"Okay, let's do this."

Nodding, I focused my energy, then used Recover but directed it at my new partner. In a flash of light, a healthy Gallade was left sitting on the bed. He jumped up, filled with new vigor. Then he hugged me suddenly, shouting

"Thank you! I haven't felt this good in two months! Oh, won't my family be surprised!" Smiling, I said

"You're welcome. Now, let's go see your wife. After two months in here, you probably want out." He didn't even answer as he flew out the door to his wife. I chuckled to myself and followed.

The next half hour was spent talking about the plans for the aqueduct, then I had to excuse myself, as it was getting late. I promised to visit them again soon, and with that I left to go home.

**Well, that's that. Looks like Rose is in for quite a surprise, huh? Let me know what you thought about this chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Rag Doll, Chapter 6**

**Hi everybody! I'm back with another one. In this chapter we'll see… ha! You thought I was going to spoil it, didn't you? Nope, you'll just have to read and see for yourselves.**

Rose's POV

I had just gotten back from the wild garden that actually _did_ exist; I made a mental note to thank my friend Marcie whenever I saw her again. I couldn't wait to see my mother's expression when I walked up to her with a basket of herbs and spices.

The expression that I was imagining to be on my mother's face appeared on my own face, though, as my father ran up to me, picked me up and started spinning in place while holding me up, laughing the whole time. When he finally set me down, I stumbled, but not from dizziness, from seeing my father out of bed for the first time in two months.

"What happened to you?" I barely got out. Beaming, my father replied

"Remember our 'Guardian Angel' Blade?" I nodded slowly.

"Well, he paid us another visit today, and he healed me!" I dropped my basket, but since my arms had been hanging so low and I was standing on grass, it landed right side up, not spilling anything, for which I was grateful, but not so much as for the well-being of my father.

"Honey, what's wrong?" my father asked me, concerned. Almost choking, I told him

"He's done so much for us. He gave us money, hope, and your health. And I haven't even met him yet." My father hugged me, then said softly

"There, there. You can see him tomorrow, because the gifts don't stop there." I looked up at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Smiling widely again, he replied

"When he visited me, he told me that he had plans to build an aqueduct from that river in the woods to our part of the city. That way, we'll have a cruder but effective approximation of a running water system. That's why he healed me, because he wants me to help him oversee the whole project! Isn't this great news?!" Overcome with emotion, the only response I could give was a numb one.

"Yes, it's absolutely wonderful." Then we walked back home after I had gathered all my herbs and spices, and the talk around the dinner table was focused on the goodness of our town's hero, Blade.

Blade's POV

I had just carefully exited my tunnel, after making absolutely sure that no one was around. Then, under cover of shadow, I made my way to my house. I got back without any incident, which I was immensely relieved for, thanking Arceus for my safety. Just then, the phone rang, making me jump a few feet in the air. Then I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Blade, where have you been?!" That was my mother, and I had a vague feeling I knew what she was screaming about.

"You are an hour and a half late for dinner, young man! What have you been doing all day?!" I looked at the clock, and seeing it was seven-thirty I muttered

"Geez, I was gone longer than I thought."

"What was that?!" Chastised, I said

"Sorry, mom, I said I was gone longer than I thought. I had become so absorbed in my training that I lost track of the time."

"What could you possibly have been doing that you would lose track of the time?" my mother inquired, finally through with her yelling fit. I gave an answer of something I had already mastered long ago, but that she had no reason to think I did.

"I was practicing combining my moves to create new ones. I don't have everything down yet, but it's a work in progress."

"Ooh, can we see some of your new moves when you get here? We still have dinner waiting, you know." Knowing I had to acquiesce in order to avoid suspicion, I said

"Sure, mom, just let me take a quick shower, then I'll run on down, okay?"

"Okay, sweetie, see you soon. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

I hung up the phone, breathing a long sigh of relief. We wouldn't be really starting the plans until tomorrow, so I knew I was safe from prosecution on that point. The project would take several days to work with, though. Being psychic types, we could definitely make the work go faster, but it still would take a fair amount of time. As I showered, I tried to think of a solution, and it hit me. The selfsame excuse I used to escape conviction on the phone could also probably be my savior in trying to get away from the high-class portion of the city and watch over the construction. But to be safe, I would give myself two weeks.

With a plan in mind, I set off for my parent's house shortly after I showered. I would show them a couple of my combo moves, and explain the other moves as if I knew what I wanted to do with them but wasn't capable of it yet. It was a genius plan, I thought, I knew it would work, but only if I played my part right.

I made it to the house and was shown into the dining room by a servant, where I saw my parents waiting for me.

"Well, it's about time you got here!" my dad shouted to me. Cringing, I said

"Sorry, dad. I was practicing combining my moves, and I got distracted and lost track of the day. I hope you will forgive me." I was playing my part perfectly, and the fruits of my labors showed when my father perked up in interest.

"Combining your moves, eh?"

"And improving on some old ones" I added.

"Could we see an example of this, dear?" my mother asked me. Before I could respond, my father waved her down and said

"Now, now, Margaret, we mustn't push the boy when he probably hasn't had anything to eat all day." My stomach answered that for him, and we all shared a laugh at that. It's a good thing I hadn't eaten anything from Petey's stall, except for a bite of that berry.

"Well then, dear, sit down, sit down! We have an excellent assortment arrayed for tonight, and then we shall be dazzled by our son's unique abilities!" Dinner was eaten in silence for the most part, but I did decide to enact my plan.

"Mom, dad, I have something to say." They looked at me in curiosity. Taking a breath, I started.

"Beginning tomorrow morning, I will be staying in the woods for two weeks, to complete my training. I want to perfect all the combo moves that I haven't quite gotten down, plus I have a couple of new ideas that have recently popped up, but I haven't had time to apply. Will you agree that I follow this course of action?"

My father was all for it, but my mother was completely against it. Fortunately, between the two of us, we managed to convince her to allow me to leave for a while, but she was adamant about me taking a pack full of food. I agreed to it, thinking that Jake, the name of the Gallade I had recently healed, and his family were going to get a pleasant surprise tomorrow.

When we finished dinner, I was led out to the back courtyard to show off my "new" abilities. I decided to start low and go from there. I drew out my swords, charged a Psycho Cut, and then fired it, surprising my parents, especially my father.

"How did you do that?!"

"_Please," _I thought, _"That's an easy skill for an advanced Gallade." _What I actually said was

"Days and days of practicing, dad. Now, I only have one more move that I've perfected, so I don't want to show you the imperfections, okay?"

My parents nodded in agreement, wondering what the next one could be. I drew my blades again, and then charged another Psycho Cut on my right blade, but in my left hand I charged a Shadow Ball. My parents were literally on the edge of their seats, watching, waiting, to see what their son would do. Raising my right blade, I brought the Shadow Ball onto the Psycho Cut and turned the neon purple blade to a richer shade of purple-black. Then I jumped ten feet in the air and brought the blade down onto the ground, creating a small crater in the ground.

My parents leapt out of their seats and began clapping for me. I gave a small bow in response.

"What do you call that move, son?" my father asked me. I stood straight and answered with pride.

"I call it Shadow Cut." This gave me another short round of applause. Then my pack was handed to me and I went on my way home, reminiscing about the success of tonight.

**Devious, ain't he? Well, review and give your thoughts. Much appreciation!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Rag Doll, Chapter 7**

**Okay, got another one goin' for ya. I'm really starting to run out of stuff to say, so I may be rambling a bit. Please bear with me, the story should make up for them.**

Blade's POV

With the next morning came the cries of Tailow, which quickly woke me up. I'm a light sleeper, so I had no problem with this, but I was too eager to try to get any more sleep. It was a bit early, the sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but I set out anyway. I told my parents beforehand that I was too excited to start my training so I wouldn't be having breakfast with them. They said they understood, so I was free to leave.

I was actually relieved to be leaving this early, before anyone else was even awake. That way I could be sure I wasn't being followed. Being as paranoid as I am, though, I still checked carefully to be certain. I traveled through my cave, into my tunnel and, eventually, into the lower-class district, although by the time I was finished with it, the place would look much better. Maybe then the higher classes will start showing a little more respect. Yeah, right, only in my dreams. Nevertheless, I knew we were about to accomplish something big.

When I exited my tunnel, being cautious, of course, I ran straight into the little town. I was quickly spotted and the scene was much like the day before. Everyone was wondering what was in my pack, but I told them it was a special offering for the family I was going to work with. By that time, everyone in the lower district had learned what my plan was concerning their hygiene. Everybody, especially the children, stared at me in awe. They clearly were touched by the measures I was taking to give them a better life, and I was determined to get it done.

I enlisted the help of the Gallades and Gardevoirs, making sure it was understood that they would all be paid for their work, but it would have to be a small amount to ensure that everyone who was working would be equally paid. They all accepted this without question since they knew that having fresh, clean water would be payment enough. When all the formalities were accomplished, it was halfway between morning and noon. Extricating myself from the crowd, I made my way over to Jake's house, hoping he was ready to get started.

Rose's POV

I was working extra hard today, and so was my mother. But no one, and I mean _no one_ worked harder than my father. Determined to make up for his "vacation" he called it, he was setting all sorts of things up outside, big tables, large pieces of paper, and a multitude of pencils. He was happier than I had seen him in a long time, even before he got sick.

When Blade arrived, I resolved to thank him properly, in person. I wanted to make sure he knew that I had appreciated everything he had done for my family, and for all the good he was about to do for our little city.

It was at around noon when we heard a knock on our door, and my father rushed past me, nearly knocking me over, shouting

"I got it!" The sight made me giggle; it was no wonder where Alex and Jenny got their energy from, while I had gotten my mother's cool head and logic.

My dad practically threw open the door, revealing a Gallade that looked so fresh, so clean, that I almost died of embarrassment; how could I let anyone see me like this, so filthy, so unclean? But then my mother stepped past me, in the same condition I was. Then I took a shaky breath and stepped forward; if she could do it, so could I.

"So, you already know Jane, my lovely wife, and she's told me you're well acquainted with my second daughter and first son, Jenny and Alex. Here, though, is my first-born daughter, Rose! You two haven't met yet, so I'll just let you get acquainted right now. "

Normally, fathers don't let strange boys talk to their daughter alone, but I was grown and could handle myself well. Besides which, he was a Gallade, and they tend to have a big sense of pride and would rather die than have it tarnished. Kind of stupid, I thought, but it _did _make them more trustworthy.

Close up, he looked about the same age as me, maybe a little bit older. He looked so pampered, so fresh, that I couldn't help the feeling of loathing that rose up within me as I remembered my taunt to the higher class. I tried to keep it down, since I knew that Gallades could sense emotion too and I didn't want to offend him. Evidently, I failed. Horribly.

"Do not worry, my dear, I am not offended. Truth be told, I have often thought the same way. And rest assured, by the time we're finished, I will be dirtier than all of you." I could tell he was joking, trying to keep the mood between us light. I blushed suddenly, I'm not sure why, but he didn't make a point of it, which I was grateful for.

Gathering my courage, I held out my hand to him, expecting to shake hands, and said

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Rose." He took hold of my hand, but instead of shaking it, he turned it over and kissed the back of it, causing me to stiffen. Noticing my posture, he relinquished my hand and said

"I apologize, have I offended you?" Regaining my senses, I quickly said

"No, no. You just surprised me is all. I wasn't expecting you to- to do that." He bowed to me, surprising me further.

"I am a master of swordsmanship, milady, but more importantly, courtesy. Now, I must excuse myself, I believe your father is having trouble with those chairs."

Looking past him, I saw that my dad was indeed having some problems concerning two folding chairs that never worked for him but that my mother had no trouble with. Stifling a giggle behind my hand, I said

"He's never been able to work with those chairs, they seem to hate him. But my mother has no problem working with them."

"Well, I'll just go and help him, then. It was very nice meeting you, Rose. I hope that our time together will be spent in pleasure." And with that he left to aid my father. He was halfway there when I remembered that I was supposed to thank him, and I kicked myself for forgetting, and then wound up rubbing the sore spot. Things were not going well for me today.

"What's the matter, Rose?" my mother had come up behind me, and had probably witnessed everything, including me kicking myself. I blushed when I answered her.

"I just wanted to thank him, but I got distracted when he kissed the back of my hand instead of shaking it like I was expecting. I was really embarrassed by that." My mother looked at me for a second, then with a wry smile she said

"But I'm guessing that while it was unexpected it wasn't entirely unwelcome." I turned a shade of red that would make a Tomato berry look pink. My mother just started laughing at my reaction, then looked out the door.

"Well, it looks like your father is getting along quite well with him" she said brightly.

Peeking around her, I could see that Blade and my father were already hard at work, drawing on the paper what I assumed to be the new aqueduct, while at the same time laughing as if they had been friends since elementary, despite the obvious age difference.

"How long is he going to be here?" I asked my mother.

"Well, when he was here yesterday, he said that he planned to stay in our little district for about two weeks while overseeing the production and being a part of it. Evidently, he wants to prove that he's on our side. As if anyone needed proof of that. So yes, you'll have plenty of time to give your thanks."

"_How did she know what I was thinking?" _I asked in my mind.

"Because, my dear, you are an open book." And my mother disappeared into the kitchen. Still blushing furiously, I looked again at my father and Blade. Then I looked at my hand. I could still feel the kiss he left there.

Blade's POV

Working with Jake was very enjoyable, as we seemed to have much in common. I came to know him and knew that I would have absolutely no regrets working with him at all. Eventually, he touched on a different subject.

"So, Blade, what do you think of my daughter, Rose?" He was watching me for my reaction.

"Well, she seems very shy" I ventured cautiously. Jake grunted.

"True enough, she has very few friends. But what I meant was, how do you personally feel about her?" I thought for a second, then stated

"If you believe that I am trying to court your daughter…" Jake laughed then, and I relaxed somewhat.

"No, I can tell you're not that kind of Gallade. I watched you give her the formalities but not overstep your bounds. I thank you for that. Other Gallade in the past have tried to get straight to her without even formally introducing themselves." he told me.

"Those kinds of Gallade, the ones who have lost their honor and dignity are the worst kind. I am always sorely disappointed when I see one like that" I said. Jake looked at me, a question in his eyes.

"So, you have seen Gallade like that before?" I nodded.

"Yes, in the higher-class districts the Gallade and Gardevoir have almost no sense of dignity, no shred of honor. The Gallade will court any girl at random, and whether they were engaged or not they would always flirt back. It disgusted me highly, which is why I prefer your little sector. The Gallade and Gardevoir here know how to properly treat a relationship, yes?" Jake seemed to sigh.

"Well, some do, but others don't. They think that being considered as low as the dirt means they can't get any lower, so they'll do just about anything. It's disappointing, really." The conversation continued like this until nightfall when we were called in for dinner, courtesy of my parents.

**I think I'm really starting to fly here! You know the drill, review and send me any question you have. As a side note, though, I've noticed that nobody seems to have any questions, but I know I have readers. Surely there must be a question or two out there, right? Guys?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Rag Doll, Chapter 8**

**At this point, I'm all out of stuff to say. Just read.**

Blade's POV

As we ate dinner, I could feel Rose's glance on me. But every time I looked in her direction, she would suddenly look away from me, her face getting redder each time it happened. I began to worry for her safety; I wasn't entirely sure what it was about, and it was a little difficult to pick up her emotions among the other four, so I resolved to ask her about it later.

When dinner was finished, the dishes were being picked up and carried over to a cracked and stained sink. It obviously came from a dump of some sort, but they were making the best they could with it. When Jane asked me if I would help Rose with the dishes, I jumped up instantly said

"Of course."

Rose looked uneasy about being in close proximity with me, and looked at her mother for guidance, who merely smiled and shooed her on to get her work done. I insisted on washing the dishes, reasoning that I did not know where they kept certain dishes and it would be time consuming to keep asking. She consented to the point. So, there we were, me washing the dishes and handing them over for her to dry and put away. I went one at a time so as not to put any unnecessary strain on her.

While I was waiting for her to dry a bowl and put it away for later use, I stared out the window, enjoying the view. Then I felt her eyes on me again, but at the far end of the room. When I tried to look at her, though, the result was the same as before. So I finally decided to put the question to her.

"Rose?" I was looking at her, so I saw her flinch when I said her name, but she didn't turn to face me. Instead she said

"Yes?" Still looking at her, I said

"I have been feeling your eyes on me ever since I left you to work with your father, and all throughout dinner, you kept staring at me. Even now, as we wash the dishes, you keep staring at me, but refuse to look me in the eye. What I pick up from you is worry, longing, and determination. You have something you want to say to me, but you seem anxious, as if you do not know how I will react. I am worried about your well-being. If this continues, you will surely fall ill. So whatever it is you wish to say, say it, and cause yourself no further stress."

She stared at me for a moment, mostly in astonishment. My guess was she was amazed at my powers of deduction. Then she turned away, fidgeting somewhat, then seemed to make a decision. Before I could react, she flung herself at me and kissed me, not on the lips, but rather the cheek. Though it was fairly close to the lips. When she broke away, she blushed heavily, then said

"Thank you, for everything you have done, for the slums… for my family… for me…"

I raised a still wet hand to my cheek, right on the area she kissed. I could still feel it on my skin, and I could feel my own face burning now. Still astonished, I began washing the dishes again, but before I handed her a plate, I stared into her eyes and said

"You're welcome."

From then on, until the dishes were finished, we didn't speak a word. All I could feel from Rose was relief, triumph, and presiding it all, embarrassment. But no matter how hard I searched, I could find no regret. She had done what she meant, and meant what she did. I wasn't quite sure how to handle this. I couldn't look at her the same way anymore. It's strange, but it's true.

When we finished, we just looked at each other, then quickly averted our gazes. We went our separate ways. She was going down a hallway, presumably to her room. I decided to go outside to enjoy the night sky and process what had just occurred between us. When I got outdoors, I searched for the ideal thinking spot. I had always enjoyed the view of the night from the top of my home, but I felt it would be rude to do something similar here. But I wouldn't be content to simply lie on the ground.

Finally, I saw it. It was almost right in front of me, but my mind was wandering at the moment. It was a tree that was missing its leaves, yet still bearing fruit. I made my way over to the lone tree, then looked up and chose my spot. With grace and dexterity, I climbed the tree, sometimes jumping from branch to branch, until I reached my designation. Picking a nearby ripe piece of fruit, I sighed and lay against the trunk. I took a bite of the fruit, an apple, and while I slowly chewed, savoring the flavor, I stared into the depths of space, that special outer world where none of us worldly creatures belonged. Somehow, doing so had always calmed me.

I was up in that tree for about an hour, judging by the positioning of the moon, when I sensed another presence leaving the house. I sighed in relief when I discovered it was Jake. Then I was filled with apprehension. Did he know what happened in the kitchen? If so, how did he interpret it? I wasn't sure I wanted the answers to those questions. He stopped at the base of the tree and looked up at me, appearing slightly bewildered.

"How did you get all the way up there?" he asked me. Shrugging, I replied

"I climbed up. Why? Is something wrong?" I sincerely hoped there wasn't. Smiling, he said

"Come down, I want to talk to you for a minute."

More apprehensive than ever, I jumped down multiple branches until I finally dropped to his side, then straightened up and waited for him to start. He motioned at me with is hand, then pointed in the direction of the woods. I addressed him by raising my eyebrow, but he shook his head and motioned again. So I followed him into the woods.

When we had entered, he stopped to take a deep breath, then turned but didn't address me directly.

"It's refreshing at night in the woods, isn't it?" I took a deep breath myself, which relieved a bit of the anxiety I had been feeling.

"Yes, it is. Now what did you want to talk about?" He gathered himself, then chuckled a little.

"As I understand it, my daughter had a little surprise for you, correct?"

"Were you watching?" He nodded once. I sighed, then continued.

"Yes, she did surprise me. By a lot, actually. I was not expecting anything like that during my stay here. I hope you know that I did not try anything with her."

"No, I realize that you are the innocent party here. However, I don't believe that for a second you didn't enjoy it." He was scrutinizing me closely. I gulped and told him

"I don't think I really had time to enjoy anything; it was very sudden and did not last very long. I am not sure how I should react to this."

"I will tell you some of her past, if you will listen. Then maybe you can get a better idea of what your next move should be." Nodding, I said

"I would appreciate that." So we walked off into the woods, and he began to explain the details of Rose's past to me.

**I want to end here, because the things I have set up for Rose's POV may take a while, and I don't want anything to be too long. I'm just not quite confident enough that this story is holding the reader's attention. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Rag Doll, Chapter 9**

**Hey guys, how's it goin'? Sorry I've been off for a while, finals are happenin' and it's been crazy with my home life. But enough of that, you're probably here to read the **_**story**_**. So let's get on with it.**

Rose's POV

After we finished the dishes, I went off to my room without looking back at Blade. I can't believe what I did; I kissed him on the cheek. I was _this close_ to his lips. The thought only makes me blush harder. Boy, what a night this was.

I had just entered my room and looked around. Then I saw what I was searching for, the little doll I had when I was just a Ralts. I know, I know, why would an adult Gardevoir still be doing with a doll? No one else could see the value in it. I admit it was really torn up, though I always did my best to fix it. It was extremely dirty, too. Recently, I've just been calling it my rag doll.

My father found it for me after I made my first dismal attempt at making friends. I was really shy when I was younger, still am, come to think of it. But that little doll was my first friend. I could tell it whatever I wanted and it would never judge me. Those always made me feel better.

Relaxing, I walked over and picked it up, then made my way over to the mattress that made my bed. I remembered all the times my mother had tried to make me throw it away, sometimes doing it herself. I always got it back, though. I couldn't stand to think what would have happened to my little friend if it was thrown away for good. Plus, I had heard rumors of what happened to dolls whose owners simply throw them away. They develop grudges, then turn into Bannette. I didn't want that to happen. My mother told me they were only rumors, superstitions. But I still didn't want to do it.

I turned my little rag doll to face me, then said

"Guess what? I kissed Blade!" I was giggling like a madman, but I couldn't help it, it was too exhilarating.

"Not on the lips, though, on the cheek. I got close to his lips, though. He looked shocked, like he wasn't expecting that. Then he raises his hand and puts it right where I kissed him. He was blushing just as much as I was, maybe more!"

I was laughing silently now, so much that I didn't notice my father standing in the doorway. He could see I was talking to my doll, but he was smiling.

"So, you still talk to that old thing, huh?"

"Daddy!" I yelled in shock, trying to hide the doll behind my back.

"What are you doing here, don't you know what knocking means?" I was blushing harder than ever now. Still smiling, he came in and sat on the foot of my bed.

"I didn't think knocking was necessary since you didn't close the door." I thought back in embarrassment, realizing that I hadn't. Al I could do was look down at my feet in shame, but I still had a little fight left in me.

"You better not tell me to throw it away." His smile settled a little, so it looked like a sad smile.

"Sweetie, I would never tell you to throw away your first friend. Just don't forget that you have other, real friends, ones who would be willing to help you in your conflicts, and who can help you make decisions. That doll can't do that much." I looked up to meet his eyes, and mine were starting to tear up.

"I know, and I'm happy to have them. But I can't ignore the fact that this little doll, my rag doll, always listened to whatever problems I had, no matter how boring, and it made me feel better to get that out. I felt like I couldn't trust anybody else, because by opening up like that, I was vulnerable, so people could hurt me."

My father came closer and wrapped me up in his arms, giving me the safe haven I hadn't felt in almost five years. I tried becoming more independent as I grew up, and I succeeded somewhat. Still, I had always missed the warmth I experienced when my father held me in his big, strong arms. I buried my face into his shoulder, not crying, but simply letting the worry and fear fade away. While he had me, he spoke softly.

"So, I saw you kiss Blade in the kitchen." I flinched and stiffened, then faced him.

"What?! You were watching us?!" Smiling again, my father told me

"Well, your mother told me what you had been experiencing, so I decided to keep a watch on you and see what would happen. Imagine my surprise when you took the chance to give him your special thanks. Of course, he had to take the initiative." This last part I recognized as him playing with me.

"Stop it! That's not funny!" but I was smiling myself.

"So, do you like him?" he asked me.

"Well, a-a little, I-I guess…" My father had a musing look on his face, as if he was contemplating something. Then he set me down, stood up, and began walking to the door.

"Daddy, where are you going?" I asked him suspiciously.

"Oh, just going for a walk." he responded lightly. After he left, I looked at my doll again and asked it

"Do you think he's just going on a nightly stroll?" I made it shake its head, and I laughed at the absurdity of what I was doing. Then I grew somber and hugged the little rag doll close to my chest, trying to make up for the warmth I felt in my father's arms.

Blade's POV

After my talk with Jake, I felt like I had a better idea of who Rose was, how she operated. I felt closer to her. I knew that I wanted to gain her favor, but I wasn't entirely sure how to do it. It's amazing what a difference one little kiss could make. I had to admit that I was falling for her. My parents would hardly agree, but what did I care. At the moment, I wanted to talk to Rose, maybe understand her from her side.

I entered the house and walked to the kitchen, hoping to get a drink of water. They had to change it every day in order to prevent disease, but with my plans for the aqueduct, that would change. They could have a line built toward their little house, maybe I would do that myself. Luckily, the water wasn't that bad, so I grabbed a little glass and took a drink. When I finished and put the cup in the sink, I noticed her presence. Rose's presence.

I turned and saw her coming into the kitchen. In her arms she held a small rag doll, a dirty little thing that nonetheless seemed dear to her heart, or so I could feel on her being. She looked up and saw me, then quickly looked down at her doll, and it looked like she wanted to run, but it seemed like she was frozen in place. I was rather frozen myself. But I managed to talk to her anyway.

"Hi."

"H-hello…" she stammered. Unable to think of anything else, I just stood there, looking at her with her doll. Then she began to speak.

"Listen, about… what happened…" I shook my head suddenly and said

"No, it's all right, don't worry about it." She nodded, then turned her gaze back to her doll.

"You're… probably wondering why an adult like me would still have a doll." she asked softly. I nodded my head, rather curious, because Jake never mentioned to me that she had a doll.

"Well…" she started "My father gave me this doll after… after I tried to make some friends, and failed…" I only could stare at her, listening intently.

"When my father gave me this doll, it didn't look as bad as it does now, but I handled it a lot. I used to talk with it every day. Tell it my secrets, my problems, and I would play with it. When I had it, I didn't feel so lonely. After I turned thirteen, my mother said I was too old for dolls, so she tried to throw it away. But I always managed to get it back somehow. I just couldn't part with my first friend. And besides…"

She lifted the doll up at her eye level and gazed at it with a certain longing, then continued.

"I want to give this doll to my own daughter, if I ever do have children." At the mention of children, she blushed heavily, then uprooted herself and ran from the room. As I watched her leave, I could feel certainty bloom in my chest. I wanted her, not just as a mate, but as a lifelong partner, through all the times, the good and the bad. I wanted her, my little Rag Doll.

**A/N: Okay guys, here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for! This is the perfect moment to play Rag Doll by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. What you do is go onto youtube, type in Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Rag Doll. It should automatically show up as an option (either that or I have listened to the song too much). Then look for a black album that has all four of their faces on it. It will say Rag Doll in big blue letters. I wanted to copy down the link, but it wouldn't work. Sorry. :.( Still, enjoy the music, it's really going to tie in with the story. Remember, listen to the music before you read on. I think I'm going to end it here, so please, take the time to listen to the recommended song. It's a beautiful piece. Please review and tell me how I did. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Rag Doll, Chapter 10**

**Okay guys, the ball's really starting to roll now! I'm feelin' good again, so let's plow on through!**

Rose's POV

As I ran to my room, the thoughts of what I just told Blade kept running through my head. Why did I blurt all of that out?! What was I thinking?!

"_What is _he _thinking?" _I asked myself.

When I got back into my room, I practically slammed the door closed, then leaned against it and thought. Had I really just explained my doll to Blade, a complete stranger to me up until yesterday, (and even then still rather unknown to me) when I wouldn't even explain the significance of it to my friends for almost ten years?!

"_What's happening to me?" _I asked in my mind. Looking at my doll, I said

"What do you think? What's wrong with me?"

Was I really doing this to myself? How did this even happen? All I wanted was a drink of water, which I never got, but when I saw him in there already, I just froze up. Then when he looked at me, my heart rate tripled. Really, it was amazing my heart hadn't exploded that entire time. When I had told my story, though, he seemed genuinely interested. The only time I had told that story to someone else, a friend I used to have but ended contact with after that event, just laughed at me, saying I was being ridiculous and a child. I almost hit her for that.

And then, there was that last comment I made.

"_If I ever do have children."_ That was the last thing he heard me say before I so rudely ran away. Oh my Arceus, why, why, WHY did I have to say that?! What did he think of me?

I took a deep breath and thought reassuringly

"_Okay, okay, maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this. That's a harmless comment, right?"_

"_Who knows," _a little voice said back to me _"He might have taken that as desperation. Maybe he sees you as a sort of whore now."_

"_No, no, no! Blade isn't like that!"_

"_How do you know, ya only met the guy yesterday, and you were hardly riveting."_

"_That doesn't matter; he isn't that kind of guy!"_

"_Again, how do you know? Maybe all these years he's been supporting the slums he's had an ulterior motive, maybe getting whatever girls he wants, eh? After all, he is a guy, and we all know that guys only have one thing on _their _minds. Who's to say that you aren't part of this ulterior plot for a harem, hmm?"_

Tired of arguing with myself, I stood up and said aloud

"I do, and I'm going to prove that Blade _is _a good guy with none of that on his mind. Maybe, he's just looking for a friend, a companion with whom he can trust."

"_And if he wants more?" _the little voice asked me. My resolve didn't waver as I thought

"_First I have to prove that."_

With that thought, I left my rag doll on the dresser and went to the kitchen for the water that I needed five minutes ago. As I drank, I noticed that Blade wasn't in the house anymore. I walked to a window in the living room and looked outside. I could see him carefully climbing the apple tree just inside the fence line.

"_So, he likes climbing trees too?"_

I loved that apple tree; it had an amazing view of the surrounding area, although it was mostly forest. Still, the air was fresh and cool up high, and you always attained a sense of peace up there. My father walked in through the door, making me jump a few feet in the air, which he easily noticed.

"Hello Rose. Have a nice chat with Blade?" he asked me, smiling widely. I looked at my feet shyly and asked

"What did he tell you?" Still smiling, my father replied

"Well, he told me how he went to get a drink in the kitchen, feeling good about the ease that the aqueduct would provide us for getting water, when he noticed you in the kitchen with your rag doll. Then he said how you were spouting out your story very suddenly, and then just ran away. I must say, you left quite an impression on him when you seemed to express the desire for children of your own."

He was watching me closely, seeing how I would react.

"Did…did he really hear me… desiring to have children?" He hesitated for a second, then said

"Not quite. He told me personally that what he saw was more of a desire for close companionship, a relationship if you will, and possibly children in the future. He didn't say anything definite on that point."

I inwardly sighed in relief. So he didn't blow everything out of proportion. If anything, he sugarcoated it a bit. Well, that was fine. No doubt I could use a bit of sugarcoating in this case. Maybe things will work out after all. I want to talk with him, but maybe not tonight. It is getting a bit late, and it would probably be a bit sudden.

"_Tomorrow." _I thought, looking at him out the window again.

"Rose?" my father addressed me.

Jolting back into reality, I said goodnight to my father, then headed off for bed. I still felt distinctly uncomfortable with recent events. When I got back to my room, I looked for a moment at the rag doll on my dresser, then grabbed it and went for a comfortable sleep.

Blade's POV

When I awoke the next morning, I was still in the tree. Jake had offered me his and Jane's room to use during my stay here. I flat-out refused to do that. And I felt as if I would be uncomfortable in their house, so I insisted on sleeping outside, preferably in their tree inside of their fence. Jake and I couldn't come to a compromise, so we decided to have a battle-bet over it. If he won, I would sleep on the couch. If I won, I could sleep in the tree.

I managed to win, but he gave me a real run for my money. The only reason I won was because of a well-placed Shadow Cut. He had to admit defeat after that, but he was still adamant on at least using the couch. I won him over, so my night was peaceful.

I descended the tree and began my morning routine. I typically do a hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups before I eat breakfast. I have been doing this since I vowed to help the citizens of the slums that fateful day. I wanted to become really strong so I could defend the people if they met a threat they couldn't handle. Considering their numbers and closeness, though, the chances of this happening are unlikely. But I still wanted to train.

I was just about finished with my pull-ups, the sun was beginning to rise (I guess I didn't mention I get up before even the Spearows and Pidgeys do) when I heard the front door open. When I looked to investigate, I saw Rose standing in the doorway, looking at me with her hand on the knob, about to close the door. In her left hand she held a small basket, the purpose of which I could not clearly define. As we looked at each other, she gathered up her nerve and said

"Good morning, Blade."

"Good morning, Rose" I replied.

"What are you doing up so early in the morning?" she asked me. Chuckling, I released my grip on the branch I was using and dropped to the ground. When I landed I answered her question.

"Well, I was actually up earlier doing my morning routine. I have been training in this manner for close to seven years now."

"Seven years…" Rose mumbled to herself.

"Wasn't that around the time you started helping the people of the slums?" Surprised, I looked at her and said

"Yes. How did you figure that out?" Blushing, she replied

"Well, that was when I had become best friends with Joy, who was dating another friend of mine, Jasper. He has connections with a lot of people, so he knew that we were receiving help from a high class person, though I hadn't imagined that it was someone who could have been my age at the time. I was really confused when word got around that you were a Kirlia who would give large amounts of money away and not ask anything in return. Why did you do that anyway?"

My mood darkened, and I responded

"Well, the day after I 'officially' visited the slums, I was curious about the daily routines of the people. So I snuck off and spent the day with them. I told my parents excitedly about what I had found out, that the peoples of the slums were actually very nice and hospitable. They screamed at me for fifteen minutes about how I 'wasn't supposed to associate with the trash and the dirt, I was better than that'. Then they told me to take a bath to get all of that 'filth' off of me. As I bathed, I swore that I would help the slums so that everyone wouldn't talk like that anymore about them. I also vowed to train myself so I could defend the slums if I had to. I started out doing twenty-five push-, sit-, and pull-ups every day. It wasn't easy, but eventually I could do it, so I moved up to fifty, then seventy-five, and recently I moved up to one hundred. Next, I'm going to move up to a hundred-twenty-five."

Rose seemed the most impressed with my training routine.

"So, you push yourself like that every morning, and have been for the past seven years?" I nodded, then asked

"What do you do every morning? It doesn't look like this is an irregular thing for you to do. Why do you carry that basket?" She looked down at her hand, momentarily forgetting she had it.

"Oh, this? I use this to pick some vegetables out of the garden, if there are any. Then I take a big bucket and fetch some water a few times to water the garden and refill the sink."

"About how many trips does this take you?" I asked her. She stared sheepishly down at her feet and said

"About five." I simply couldn't believe it. This poor girl, for the last… hell, I didn't know how long she's been doing this! Well, I couldn't let this happen anymore, not while I was around.

"Let me help you bring the water back from the river" I offered. She looked up very suddenly, seemingly stricken.

"Oh, no, I couldn't ask you to do that" she said quickly.

"Well, you didn't ask; I volunteered, and you can't worm me out of this, so don't try." She stared at my face, obviously looking for signs of misgivings, but I was absolutely certain that I was going to help her, whether she liked it or not.

"Well, okay, if you insist. There's a second bucket that we can take, but we'll have to wash it out. And I don't want to hear any whining, understand?" I bowed and said

"You have my word, madam."

Soon after, Rose picked what vegetables were ripe from her own little garden which she told me she had been tending since she was six. She placed them in the kitchen of the house, then went around back and brought out a medium-sized bucket and handed it to me, which I took without a word. Then we set off in the woods at an easy pace, talking about this and that, and eventually getting into our pasts.

It took about forty-five minutes to reach the river that most of the slum got their water from. I was going to see it at some point so I knew what I would be up against, and what I saw did not daunt me at all.

It was a good sized river, almost eight feet wide. I couldn't see where it led, but it looked like it flowed not too fast, but enough so that the design of the aqueduct could be simple and easy to build. I breathed a sigh of relief which Rose mistook for something else.

"Yes, it's beautiful, isn't it?" I looked around the rest of the forest, and I could see greenery for a good distance, but I couldn't tell exactly how far.

"Yes," I told her "It's magnificent. Up in the higher districts, we don't really have this luxury. Most everything of the greenery was torn down to make room for our buildings, which are gaudy in my opinion. I much prefer the tranquility of Mother Nature, that for which Celebi has given us, and I thank Arceus every day that I was born here."

Rose looked at me in confusion.

"But I thought you said you hated where you lived?"

"And I do. But if I didn't live there, I might not have the resources to do what I am now, nor the wherewithal to do it. So, that is one thing I thank my parents for. Because of their biased ideals, I became determined to make the lives of all the lower district peoples better."

With that, I began to wash out the bucket Rose had given me. When it was clean, we both filled our buckets. Mine was bigger than hers, but because of my intense training, I could easily lift it. Still, I did notice the weight of the water, and although it was no great strain on me, I wondered how Rose could do it. She was not particularly muscular, so how she made five trips like this was beyond me. However, she surprised me when her eyes began glowing blue: Psychic.

She lifted the bucket in front of her and turned, then began to walk down the path back to her house. Now I understood a bit more. She must have gone through the same level of intensity I had, but with her mind instead of her body. Her success made me wonder just how powerful she really was.

After about ten minutes, though, she stopped and nearly lost her water. I noticed in time and managed to grab the bucket from midair before it spilled its contents. I looked over at her and realized she was very pale, so I set down the buckets and gently took her arm. I led her over to a flat rock and sat her down on it.

"What's wrong, did you get hurt?" I asked her. She shook her head and was suddenly panting as if she had been running for an hour.

"No… but… the psychic… takes a …heavy toll… on your… mind… and if… you don't take… a break… every now… and again… it can… be very… tiring."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner? I would have gladly stopped if I had known. How does this routine work for you?" She finally regained her breath, but she was still very weak. But she told me

"Well, when I go to get the water, I walk for about five minutes, and then break for five minutes. I used this process for almost seven years, though in the beginning I had to alternate with dragging the bucket around." I thought for a second, then asked her

"But why didn't you get your father to help you? Surely he would have been willing to do this with you." Rose shook her head and replied

"No, daddy has already done so much for me and my family. Plus, I want to let him seep in. He deserves it. I think of this as my way of repaying him for all he's done." My frustration was rising was rising quickly.

"And do you think your father would be happy if you sacrificed yourself to merely get some water?"

"Well, I wasn't prepared to go so long without a break, but I didn't want to be the one to suggest it." I slapped my face with my right hand, exasperated.

"_Great, it's my fault. I taxed her too much, and now she's paying the price." _Sighing, I said

"Well, you should have told me. Alright, get on my back." She looked at me in surprise.

"What?" she asked

"Get on my back. You can't make it home in your condition, and I certainly don't want you to carry any more water today, so get on my back."

I turned around and squatted, then waited. Finally, she seemed to accept my argument, because I soon felt her weight on me. I stood, thinking she was either very light or I was overpowered. Probably both, actually. Then I walked over to the buckets and picked them both up and we were on our way.

While I was walking, Rose asked me

"Blade, why are you doing this?" Confused, I asked

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you helping me this way? Why are you taking both buckets and carrying me at the same time? Surely this is wearing down on you!" Chuckling, I said

"No, not really. Remember, I said I had trained for seven years in that special manner, getting stronger and stronger every time. In fact, I was about to start my new regimen tomorrow."

Rose was shocked in amazement. I dumped the loads of the buckets onto the garden like Rose had directed me, and then made my way back to the woods for more.

**Okay, I think I'm going to end the chapter here. If you have noticed, this chapter is longer than any chapter I have written so far. I have been talking with GalladeFenrir44, the brilliant author of The Blade and The Embrace, and he's told me that my chapters might need a bit more length, so I'm trying that out, and I admit, I've managed to get a lot of stuff in here. More than I would have** **with how I normally put down. So, read and review, if you please, and tell me what you think.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Rag Doll, Chapter 11**

**All right, coming up with another one! I gotta say, I have a new bounce in my step since my talks with GalladeFenrir44, the author of The Blade and The Embrace (which I highly recommend). I want to keep going with this and see how far I get, so here we go!**

Rose's POV

As Blade carried me through the woods, I was just constantly in shock. He was not only carrying me, he was also carrying two heavy buckets of water, yet he said it was like nothing to him. I couldn't help but feel ashamed that I had driven him to do this. When we were making the final leg of our journey back, I couldn't take it anymore, so I said

"Blade, I'm sorry I made you go through all this. I didn't want you to have to end up carrying me and my workload, even if you do it so much better." Without hesitation, he replied

"Don't even worry about it. I said I was going to help, so I'm helping. I'll look forward to this every morning that I'm here." I couldn't believe what I was hearing; he wanted to spend every morning like this? Did that include carrying me? I was so lost in thought, I didn't even realize we made it home until Blade asked me

"So, how exactly does this deal with your sink work?" Coming out of la-la land, I found us in our kitchen, Blade still holding the buckets and carrying me. At that moment, my father stepped in with Alex and Jenny in tow. He took one look at the scene before him, then grinned and said

"Well, well, what do we have here? Blade, I know you said you wanted to make a move, but this isn't how I expected it to look." This made both of us blush hard, embarrassed at how this looked. Blade was the first to respond.

"Well, I was up and doing my morning routine when Rose stepped out to do hers. I offered my services, she refused, but I helped anyway. She strained herself, though, so I've been… giving her a lift, if you will." Chuckling, Jake said

"So, you brought in the water, huh? The way things usually are, we wouldn't expect Rose back with the final load of water until around ten, ten-thirty. But you already have pretty much everything ready before nine." He looked over to me and winked, then said in a deliberately carrying whisper

"That's quite the keeper, Rose." Alex and Jenny busted a gut over this, Blade just blushed, and I did the same but also shouted

"Dad!" My mother came in, yawning, and asked

"What's all the commotion about?" When she saw the position Blade and I were in, she began to giggle and say

"Oh, now I see." With that, my whole family was laughing at us. I swear I was about to die, or they were. Blade took it all in good humor though and began to laugh with them. I got off his back and helped him with the sink. One bucket went into the sink for dishes, the other bucket of water went on the counter for people of the household to grab a drink, which Blade did gratefully.

Once the awkwardness of the moment settled down, my mom began to make everyone breakfast. We used the provisions that Blade brought with him, telling us that his parents had insisted on taking it with him. Apparently he believed it would make an offering of goodwill for letting him stay with us.

Yeah, because we weren't already aware of his good will. That was sarcasm by the way.

After breakfast, Alex and Jenny had to wash the dishes while my father and Blade traveled to the river so Blade could get a better look at the full dimensions of it. My mother and I began to work on the house, dusting, sweeping, stuff like that. When Alex and Jenny were finished, my mother left me to take care of the rest of the house work while she took them to the back room which served as their classroom. There wasn't much left to get since my mother and I were fast workers and we were in great spirits. Well, I was in good spirits, anyway. Okay, maybe just in spirits.

I went outside when everything was finished and decided to climb my tree. I hadn't done it in a while, and I wanted to see if I could still do it. I began with the lowest branch and started my way up, but about halfway there, I was feeling the tiring effects of overusing Psychic earlier, so I stopped for a break. Suddenly, I heard a voice beneath me.

"Hey baby, what're you doin' all the way up there?" I looked down and saw Chad. Ugh, when would he ever learn? I lay my head against the cool trunk and said impatiently

"What do _you _want, Chad?"

"All I want to do is look at my baby, ya dig?"

"No, I do not 'dig'. My father told you to stay away from me, and I told you a hundred times already, _I DON'T LIKE YOU. _Now take a hint and scram."

He regained his normally brusque attitude, which was exactly why I couldn't stand him. He was an old suitor of mine, but he never understood the word no. Normally, Gallade are supposed to be virtuous and prideful, but he had gone low. Real low.

"And what if I don't want to, huh? Who's gonna make me scram?" I charged a Shadow Ball in my hands and said

"I am if you don't get the hell out already."

"Go ahead, sweet cheeks, try me" he challenged me.

If there was one nickname I could not stand, it was sweet cheeks. I took quick but careful aim and hurled the Shadow Ball at him before he could do more than blink. He was sent flying back into the hard ground. He got up grumbling and dusting himself off, and I chose this time to say

"Now scram, before I hit you again." He looked at me and smiled widely, almost maniacally and replied

"Oh, no sweet cheeks. I got myself a real spicy one. And I love spicy things." With that, he began to climb my tree. I charged another Shadow Ball and sent it right in his face, sending him crashing down. I was satisfied by the beat down I was giving him, but became horrified when he got up with a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

"Okay, princess. Now we get serious." He kept climbing toward me and I kept sending him down. I was afraid now. I didn't know what he intended to do with me, and I didn't want to know. Every time I pushed him back, he got madder and madder. I could only hope that I could keep Chad back long enough until Dad and Blade got home.

It was about half an hour later when they finally arrived. When they did, they were laughing about something until I called them.

"Dad, help! Chad is back, and I think he's crazy!" My father quickly looked at me, then at Chad. He started forward, but was stopped by Blade, who looked at him and shook his head. Then he stepped forward, drew his elbow blades, and formally challenged Chad.

"Excuse me sir, but I think you should stop tormenting the lady and face me, lest you suffer a quick defeat." Chad looked over at Blade, and his maniacal state seemed to lessen a bit, but he was still crazy.

"What, you got your eyes on my girl, bozo? Well forget it. She's mine, you hear? Ain't nobody gonna take her away from me. YA' HEAR!"

I was quite scared for my life. But then I saw a change come over Blade, one that scared me more than Chad ever had. He stepped forward, and each movement he made spoke of raw, untested power that he would not hesitate to unleash.

"Let me tell you this here, now, and clearly. Rose does not belong to anyone but herself. She has the capability of making her own choices that should be respected. If you cannot respect that, then I have no choice but to beat you senseless." He pointed to Chad and said

"You are clearly a Gallade that has lost his integrity and honor, and you must be put back in your place." Chad laughed crazily, then said

"Tell you what, let's you and me make a bet. I'll fight ya, and if I win then sweet cheeks up there is mine. If you win, I'll take her as a consolation prize. Whattya say, huh?" and he began laughing like a madman again. Blade stared at him in disgust and said

"You are not even worth arguing with. Will you fight, or are you a coward?" At this, Chad turned to Blade and drew his swords.

"Nobody calls me a coward and gets away with it!" He charged wildly at Blade, who withdrew his swords and stood still. When Chad reached him, Blade reached out and with one hand threw Chad over his head without even trying. He looked where Chad had landed with a muffled _whump_ and said to him

"Your movements are sloppy and easy to read. I didn't even have to use any energy for that one. Try again." Chad got to his feet and charged again, earning the same result.

"Are you even listening to me?" Blade asked in exasperation.

"Dead men don't talk!" Chad growled. He tried to feint this time to Blade's right, but Blade simply moved to the left but kept his foot out, tripping Chad. I giggled at this sight and couldn't resist saying

"Have a nice _trip_! See you next _fall_!" and I almost fell off my branch I was laughing so hard.

Chad picked himself up again and I began to wonder just how much energy he had. He took multiple, repeated hits from my Shadow Balls, and he was being messed around with by Blade. When he was tripped for a third time, he stood and said

"Are you trying to make me look like a fool?" Blade looked at him with an insolent expression and responded

"I'm not trying, I'm succeeding. But I think it's about time I end this." With that, he drew his right blade and charged a Psycho Cut. Before he could do anything else, Chad laughed derisively at him and said

"Big deal, I can do the same thing!" Chad drew out both his blades and charged a double Psycho Cut. Blade merely chuckled.

"Yes, but you can't do what I'm about to." Next he extended his right hand and charged a Shadow Ball, then smeared it over the Psycho Cut, changing its color from neon purple to a rich shade of purple-black.

"Whatever, you can't beat me!" Chad yelled out, charging Blade. Blade drew his left arm sword, waited for the right moment, then caught Chad under his arm and threw him high into the air. Taking careful aim, he hurled the strange Psycho Cut/Shadow Ball combo at Chad. It connected and Chad was out of the game! I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was over.

But it wasn't.

Blade walked over to Chad and grabbed him by the chest spike, then picked him up and started slapping him until he came to.

"What's goin' on?" Chad moaned groggily.

Blade dragged him over to the tree where I was sitting, then shoved him face first into it. Then Blade forcefully tilted Chad's head up to look at me. He looked worse for wear, but I guess that was to be expected. Blade then told him

"Now, you are going to act like a gentleman. You will apologize for disrespecting Rose. You will say you will not bother her anymore. Then you are going to leave and never come back. Understand?" Chad did his best to spit in Blade's face, but his position did not leave much room to do so. Then he challenged Blade by saying

"Make me!" Blade's face split into an evil grin, then he leaned in towards Chad's ear and said

"You're going to regret those words. Pardon me, madam" he addressed me. He began to drag Chad into the woods, and I wondered what was going to happen next. Next I heard blows landing, and I cringed with each pain induced sound. Suddenly Chad appeared from the woods, shoved by Blade, but he managed to stay on two feet. He looked up at me in my place in the tree, then quickly said

"I'm sorry for disrespecting you. I won't bother you anymore." Then he ran for the exit to our yard, tripping the whole while. My father and I were laughing at this, and Blade's face was set in a satisfied grin. Then my father asked me

"Rose, why don't you come on down?"

"Um," I started "I can't. I was pretty tired when I came up here, and firing those Shadow Balls took even more out of me. It's difficult for me to move right now. I need some help." My father laughed for a second, regained his composure, then asked

"Blade, can you…"

"Say no more sir. But I want to try something. Rose, do you trust me?" he called up to me.

"Huh?" I responded stupidly.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated.

"Uh, I guess so, why?" I wondered.

"Well, I want to try a new trick. I have it well mastered, but I haven't done it in a while, and I want the thrill again. Don't worry, you'll be completely safe." This didn't quite reassure me, but I figured, why not?

"Okay" I called down.

He took a couple steps back, rubbed his hands together, then sprinted at the tree. He jumped and began springing from one branch to another, agile and flexible. When he reached my position, he didn't slow down. Instead, he scooped me up bridal-style, which made me blush, then I looked quickly in his eyes to see hardened determination. He began running down the branch we were on. Suddenly, he jumped, flipping in midair and landing safely but firmly on the ground, keeping me safe in his arms the entire time. I hadn't felt a thing, except dizziness, but my heart was pounding. He looked at me and said

"How's that for a joy ride?" I muttered something unintelligible, and both my father and Blade were laughing. Then my father said

"Why don't you take her to her room and let her get some rest, then come back out here to finish up the plans?" Blade nodded, then, still carrying me bridal-style, walked into the house and let me direct him to my room. When we arrived, he gently set me down on my bed, pushed up a stray piece of green hair and said

"Sleep tight." Without another word, I fell asleep, but the last thought to cross my mind was

"_His arms are just as strong and warm as daddy's."_

**Aww, isn't that precious? Okay, that's another chapter come and gone, so let me know what you think.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Rag Doll, Chapter 12**

…**Meh, just read.**

Blade's POV

After I set Rose in her bed, I couldn't help but admire the fact that she was beautiful in my eyes. At least I was able to defend her from that honor less Gallade. I pushed back a strand of her hair which had come loose during my stunt. Then I told her

"Sleep tight."

As I began to leave, she curled up and smiled peacefully. The scene made me smile too, and I left her room, closing the door behind me. I thought about my actions. I kind of regretted picking her up bridal-style, but I had to admit, that was quite a thrill for me, both holding her in my arms and my stunt. Sighing in contentment, I made my way outside to Jake so we could finish drawing up the plans for the aqueduct.

As it turned out, we had found an area that was full to the brim with rocks, very large rocks which could be used to make the aqueduct so it would last for years to come. We had already dispatched troops to shape them, as Jake had impressive telekinetic abilities and placed the request for the townspeople, who jumped at the opportunity to get the aqueduct project started.

When I got outside, the tables were set up, the papers were nearby, and he was wrestling with the chairs again. Chuckling, I walked over to help him. Then for the next two hours we mapped out the specific dimensions that would be necessary to make the aqueduct efficient and resistant to damages. It wasn't easy, but we felt we finally had it all figured out. The first thing we had to do was map out where the aqueduct would be stretching. That wasn't hard at all. Then we had to designate foundation points. That was a bit more difficult to map out, as we had to check over the specific areas to make sure there wasn't anything already claiming that space. I didn't want to have to relocate an entire family just to put up an aqueduct. We traveled over the town and had to relocate a couple of the foundations. I had no problem with this, so we quickly moved on to the size of the foundations, which had to be proportionate to the pillars that would hold up the aqueduct itself. I would prefer to use concrete to hold everything together, or even cement. Unfortunately, we didn't have the proper ingredients for either. So we would have to rely on shaping the rocks to fit together like a giant puzzle.

Over the course of the next five days, the most I saw of Rose was in the mornings when we went to fetch the water for her garden and family. Fortunately for her, that would soon be a thing of the past. I think she looked forward to it, but I was always concentrating on what could go wrong and what I could do to prevent it. I wanted as little error as possible, if at all. I knew that the chances of that happening were slim, but a guy could dream, couldn't he?

Production finally began on the eighth day of my visit. I had six days left before I had to go. We gathered up all the volunteers and set to work. I had the Gallades, myself included, lifting up the rocks for the foundation, while the Gardevoirs were off to the side using their psychic abilities to make the Gallades load lighter. We set the biggest rocks for the foundations, then set to work on the pillars. Those alone set us back by about three days. But we managed. Some of the others were off piecing together the aqueduct behind us, assembling it as we set up the pillars. That way we wouldn't lose an absurd amount of time. If it wasn't for Jake, almost nothing would have been done. I need to think of a way to pay him back, and I think I know just how to do it.

On the twelfth night of my stay, while we were eating dinner, so graciously set up by Jane and Rose, I broached the subject.

"Jake, I want to say it has been an absolute pleasure working with you."

"We're not finished just yet" he reminded me.

"Oh, I know. Believe me, I know. Nonetheless, I want to thank you for your hard work directing the project. I couldn't do it myself, so your efforts have been vital to the success we are currently experiencing. So, in order to convey my thanks, I have decided that you will be the one to open the path for the aqueduct to begin its work, and you are free to name it as you please."

The rest of his family looked shocked at what I just said, but Jake was touched. He stood up and motioned for me to do the same. When we were both on our feet, he walked over and took my hand in his firmly, and we shook hands. Then he pulled me into a rough embrace, and the rest of the family decided to get in on this. With everyone hugging, everything felt right with the world, but I knew it couldn't last. When we broke apart, he looked at me and asked

"So I am free to name it as I choose?" I nodded in confirmation.

"Very well, then, I will name it after you." He held up a hand to forestall my reply.

"Yes, I know you wanted your work to stay secret, but you should no longer fear your parents. You are an adult now and should be free to make your own decisions. You should have the strength to confront your parents about the issues they have with us and assert yourself. Tell them what you have done for us. After all, they must also know that you plan to marry my daughter."

I jumped in surprise at this, absolutely shocked, and Rose just blushed.

"How-how did you…" Chuckling, he said

"Son, I've been around for almost fifty years. I think I would recognize the same thing that happened to Jane and I so many years ago. Of course, our situations weren't as difficult as yours are, but I know that you two are in love. I'm not going to be here forever, so I need someone strong and virtuous to take care of her for me, and I know that you'll be the one to do it, Blade. What I suggest is that you two take a nice walk into the woods and talk this over, how you want to proceed. We'll take care of things here."

And with that he waved us off while Alex and Jenny complained. I looked over at Rose and motioned with my hand, and she took it. Linked together, we walked through the back door and headed out for the woods. Unsure how to start, I just kinda coughed until I could get the words out.

"So, uh… when did you first realize it?"

"Realize what?" she asked me.

"You know, when you realized you… loved me." I answered weakly.

"Oh… that would be after you healed my father after the doctor said it would take him time to recover. You had done so much for my people, for my family… and for me." I recalled those exact words in the kitchen when she kissed me as her way of saying thanks.

"So, what about you? When did you realize that you… loved me?" I didn't even have to think back to answer her question.

"Right after you kissed me as your way of saying thanks for all I had done and was about to do. My love became more fully realized after you told me your story concerning your rag doll. I knew that I wanted you as my partner. Someone who I could come home to every day when things were wrong, knowing that you could make them right."

I looked over at her, and she quickly averted her gaze, blushing again. I said softly

"Rose, look at me." She did, slowly, and when I had her full gaze on me I told her

"I love you." Her breathing practically stopped, but she didn't look away this time. Then she said

"I love you too." Then we leaned in close and shared our first kiss.

**I don't care what none of you say, this is a beautiful moment here! In fact, it's a magic moment! XD**

**That's right, it's time for another music piece, this one by Jay and The Americans, titled This Magic Moment. Go on youtube and type in, duh, Jay and The Americans This Magic Moment. Look for a color album with black edges and a picture of five guys on it. It should be about three minutes long and say Jay and The Americans This Magic Moment-1969. Let it play through, it's a beautiful piece, then continue to read.**

Rose's POV

I had almost died of embarrassment when my father said we loved each other. Okay, yes, it was true, but I still didn't need him blurting it out to anyone who cared to listen. Fortunately it was only my family around. When Blade motioned for me to take his hand, though, I didn't hesitate to do so. Then we left the little house and started walking in the woods. It seemed like Blade was trying to talk, but right now all he could do was cough. I didn't mind. I could wait.

"So, uh… when did you first realize it?" he asked me. Not thinking at the time, I asked

"Realized what?"

"You know, when you realized you… loved me." I thought about that for a second. When did I realize that I loved him? I barely even knew him at the time, but…

"Oh… that would be after you healed my father after the doctor said it would take him time to recover. You had done so much for my people, for my family… and for me." Then I had to know for myself.

"So, what about you? When did you realize that you… loved me?" He didn't even hesitate, speaking almost immediately after I asked.

"Right after you kissed me as your way of saying thanks for all I had done and was about to do. My love became more fully realized after you told me your story concerning your rag doll. I knew that I wanted you as my partner. Someone who I could come home to every day when things were wrong, knowing that you could make them right." He tried looking at me, but I couldn't meet his gaze. I was so touched.

"_Is that how he sees me, as a partner, not just a mate?"_

"Rose, look at me." I did, slowly. I met his gaze, so strong and confident, despite the fact that he would have to face his parents who would surely refuse me, but I could tell that he didn't care.

"I love you" he told me. I couldn't breathe then, it felt like a giant hand was squeezing my chest, preventing me from drawing air. But I managed to look him in the eyes and say

"I love you, too." Then we closed the distance between us, all our inhibitions disappeared (well, not _ALL_, but you get the idea) and we shared a romantic kiss that I hoped would never end.

**I'm gonna cut it here, but just wait to see what happens next. I'll tell you what, it will put a real strain on their relationship. Anyway, read and review. Thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Rag Doll, Chapter 13**

**Okay, so Blade and Rose have shared a tender, or rather, a **_**magic**_** moment. Gettit? No? Ah well, just read anyway.**

Blade's POV

After we were finished telling each other how much we loved each other, we decided it would be best to head back. When we entered the kitchen, we could see that the work was just about finished. Then Alex and Jenny were sent off to bed, to which they complained loudly as all young children do, but eventually it happened. Then Rose, her parents and I set off for the living room where we could talk.

"So, Blade," Jake started "how do you intend to explain this to your parents? You do know you'll have to confront them about this sooner or later, right?" I nodded, then said

"I was thinking I would let the news about the aqueduct get out first and use that as a means to inform my parents of what I've been doing all these years. Then I would go to the fact that I have chosen Rose to be my mate." Both her parents nodded, and then Jake asked

"What do you think the consequences of your actions might be?" I thought for a minute, then replied

"Most likely they will try to 'cleanse' my mind or something. Failing that, they'll probably lock me up somewhere and set a guard. Then I'll be forced to marry someone else." Rose looked panicked at this, and before she could say anything I told her

"Don't worry; I'm stronger than any guard they could put up. After all, I have been training since the age of seven, and I've been the champion of the contests for the same amount of time." She still didn't look completely reassured, so I sealed my word with a kiss. Then she relaxed.

"So, with a game plan in mind, we should head off to bed. I'll see you two in the morning" Jake said to the room at large, taking his pregnant wife and leading her to their bedroom.

I went outside to sleep in the tree while Rose went to her room. While we were in the forest, we both agreed that since we were not officially married yet, we do not yet have the right to sleep in the same room, much less the same bed. This was our agreement per my honor and her cautiousness.

I climbed up to the highest, but safest, point I could find and sat back in ease, knowing that I would see my loving fiancée in the morning.

Rose's POV

After Blade and I separated, I went to my room with a bit of sadness in my heart. I didn't want to leave his side anymore, not even at night. However, his pride would not let him sleep with me, even if we didn't actually do anything. And I have to admit, I was feeling a little nervous about the subject. Hopefully his parents would have changed their views a bit, enough so that Blade and I could get married without any trouble. I knew that was a lot to hope for, though, so I did something I haven't done in many years; I prayed.

I kneeled at the edge of my bed and started.

"Arceus, I know I haven't prayed to you or revered your name as I ought to have, but I don't know who else to turn to. Blade and I are in love and we wish to marry, but the only obstacle we have found so far is his parents. They would go so far as to bind him and force him to marry another. I do not want this to happen and cause a rift between us. Any help you could send would be greatly appreciated."

"Oh, how I wish it were that easy" a strange voice behind me said.

I whirled around, charging a Shadow Ball between my hands, ready to strike at the intruder, but I stopped at the sight of what appeared to be a human, but indeed the strangest human ever. I had only seen two humans in my entire lifetime, and even then at a distance. This particular human was wearing all white clothes; white shirt, white pants, even a white jacket. He had on golden shoes and golden gloves. He was also wearing a golden belt with four emerald green studs, evenly spaced. Attached to the belt was a sword that was colored the same as his hair, a steel gray. His eyes were piercing red, and a soft glow emanated around him. The Shadow Ball fizzled from my hands which dropped to my sides.

"Are you…?"

"Yes, I am Arceus. You have called for me, so I came." It took a lot of courage to ask my next question.

"So, do you visit everyone who prays to you, or am I special? And why do you look so… human?" Arceus smiled widely, then shifted his weight a little and responded.

"Well, I don't show up to everyone who requests my help, only those who desperately need it. So, in a way, yes, you are special. The reason I look human is simply because I chose to look this way. I figured it would be a lot less cramped in your room if I visited in my human form." It was an understatement to say my mind was blown.

"Anyway," said Arceus "to the matter at hand. No, I cannot simply cast a spell to make your fiancée's parents see reason, though believe me I would like to make all the high class citizens see reason."

"Why can't you?" I asked. He sighed, the continued.

"You see, when I created everything, my life was boring. So I created Mew, who gave birth to every pokemon in existence. And let me tell you, she was very sad to see many of her children die. Still is, as am I. Anyway, when pokemon came into the world, I vowed that I would try to be a part of their lives but not interfere with them. Therefore, when you asked for my help, I came here to give you advice. However, I cannot force Blade's parents to change their views, for that would be to interfere with them. You must change their views yourself, but you can only do this by proving that you and Blade are truly in love. His parents have a rather bad view of the citizens of the slums, worse than most of the high class citizens do. It will be difficult, but neither you nor your fiancée can give up if you wish to be together. I will leave you now with those words to ponder."

And in a brilliant flash of white light, he was gone. I sat down on my bed, my legs having become weak. I thought about what Arceus had just told me.

"_Blade's parents have a worse view of us in the slums, huh? Well, I guess I'll just have to prove them wrong." _But exactly how I was going to accomplish that, I did not know. I would talk to Blade in the morning about it.

**The next morning…**

When I woke up, I sat on my bed and stretched, looking forward to my time with Blade this morning. I left my room in excitement, grabbed my vegetable basket and went outside. I saw him doing his daily exercises. He paused for a second, torn between finishing his routine and meeting me. I solved his dilemma by waving for him to finish. I was willing to wait, and I knew he would regret not finishing. So I sat on the small porch and watched him finish doing his pull-ups, the last thing he did with his exercises. He also ran, so it wasn't only his upper body that got a workout.

When he was done, he came up to the porch and sat next to me, enjoying the light from the early morning.

"Hey, beautiful" he greeted me. This made me giggle and blush a little, but I stopped long enough to respond.

"Hey, handsome."

Then we were both laughing, drunk with happiness about our soon-to-be wedding. He wanted it to be memorable, and so did I, but I was unaccustomed to the idea of something overly expensive. Instead, I decided to broach the subject that had been weighing heavily on my mind.

"Honey?" I said.

"Hmm?" he responded, retrieving the two buckets to fetch the water.

"I… I had a conversation… with Arceus last night."

He froze, confusion written on his face.

"Where?"

"In my room. After I left to go to bed, I worried about what I had learned about your parents. So, I prayed to Arceus last night, and right after I prayed, he appeared in my room to advise me. Blade processed this, then asked

"So what did he say?"

"Well, he told me that he couldn't do anything other than give us advice, he can't change the view of your parents. It's a little complicated to go into right now, but he told me that both you and I have to convince them that we are in love. That should have an impact on them."

The rest of our journey was spent in silence, and I wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but I couldn't bring myself to do it among my worries.

Blade's POV

The last two days of my stay passed in a kind of blur. The final stones had been placed on the aqueduct, the people had been paid, and now all that was left was the ceremony to get it running. The entire population of the slums was gathered at the river and spread out in a circular shape around the mouth of the aqueduct. I stood next to Jake, who was presiding over the ceremony.

"Thank you all for your hard work. And of course, thank you Blade for making this all possible for us." Jake was saying. This got a loud round of applause that lasted for five whole minutes. I couldn't accept all of the credit though, so I said

"It wasn't just me. Everyone here did their part. All I really did was come up with the suggestion. I am just happy that you all will get to experience a better life because of this." Another five minutes of applause. Jake took control again by motioning for the crowd's attention, which was immediately put on him.

"So," he began "It is with great pleasure that I officially declare the Blade Aqueduct, open!" And with that, along with the cheers of the assembled Gallades and Gardevoirs, he lifted the tab that had been placed to prevent the water from flowing before the aqueduct was ready. The water rushed down the new path with eagerness and in the town the spouts that had been set up for the aqueducts purpose began to flow, which elicited cheers from the children who stayed behind to wait for the fresh water. Along with the aqueduct, a water runnage system had been set up so the water wouldn't collect and stagnate. Already the streets were visibly cleaner, and the mood of the gathered crowd lifted even higher, if that was possible.

"It is also my pleasure to say that Blade has chosen a mate from among us!" Jake told the crowd. Unlike before, the crowd was whispering now, wondering who the lucky gal could be. When Jake held up his hand for silence, though, the whisperings stopped.

"The girl he has chosen, who has accepted, is my own daughter, Rose!" With this the crowd began cheering again, except they wouldn't calm down until after about ten minutes. When everything died down, Jake delivered his bad news.

"Unfortunately, Blade must leave us for now. He must return to his responsibilities in the high class district. Lastly, he will confront his parents about his union with Rose, and further for what he has done for us for all these years we have known him."

The crowd initially gave sounds of sadness but went back to cheering for me when I jumped down and made my way to the exit of the town I turned and gave a final wave, then headed for my secret tunnel to head back to the district that made me apprehensive.

**Okay, that's the end of this chapter. Read, review, and wait for the next one!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Rag Doll, Chapter 14**

**Okay, this is it, one of the tense chapters. Blade's going to meet up with his parents again after two weeks. What will happen when he tells them how he's been using their money?**

Blade's POV

I was walking through my tunnel, thinking about how I was going to break the news to my parents. They would know that I had been lying to them for almost eight years now. They probably wouldn't take that well. I also had been using the money they gave me to better the lives of the slummers. They _really_ wouldn't take that well.

All too soon, the end of the tunnel reached my sight, and I took my usual precautions to avoid detection. They would surely lock me up as punishment, but they would never get me to tell them exactly how I got there without their notice. I left the tunnel and carefully made my way to the high class district. I slipped around in the alleys until I could see my home. Nothing looked suspicious, so I carefully entered the door, turned on the light and found no one there.

"_Well, it is still pretty recent" _I thought. I had believed that news of the aqueduct named in my honor would have reached my parents already. I would probably hear about it tomorrow morning, but for now, I was safe. I showered, taking my time in the warm water, then went straight to bed.

When the next morning came, I did my morning routine, doing the extra twenty-five that my new routine demanded. Then I made myself a small breakfast since I skipped dinner last night. When I exited my house, however, I saw two guards with the sigil of my parents on them. They caught sight of me and stated

"Master Blade, you have been summoned by your parents. You are to meet with them immediately. Any plans you have for the day are to be put aside. Will you comply?" Nodding, I said

"I was actually planning to meet my parents today. Lead the way."

Without another word, the guards turned and began walking in the direction of my parent's mansion. I thought that during this journey I would be sweating over what I was going to say, worrying about my parent's reactions to my actions. But the truth is, I felt perfectly calm. I knew they would react badly to the news, but I was beyond caring at this point. I could take whatever they dished out, no matter if they locked me away or tried to force me to marry someone else.

When we arrived, everything looked normal, but I resigned myself for the worst. The guards escorted me to the dining room, but I saw no breakfast waiting. Then I knew that this was a business meeting, and if there was any breakfast to be had it would have to wait. My father motioned for me to sit, and I took the chair on the far side of my parents. They raised their eyebrows at this, but didn't say anything. There was a profound silence between the three of us, my father and I just staring at each other, sizing one another up. My mother was skipping her gaze between the two of us, back and forth, waiting for someone to break the monotonous silence. Finally, my father said

"So, I've been hearing reports of construction going on in the slums while you were away."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yes, and it seems that it was for an aqueduct of sorts." I didn't say anything.

"And the funny thing is, they have named it the _Blade _Aqueduct." I didn't even flinch.

"Quite the coincidence, I thought, that they happened to know your name when we are supposed to stay away from the slums. I distinctly remember that our names were never given out when we had officially visited the slums. Do you have any idea how this could have happened, Blade?" he was speaking in a slow, deceptively mild tone. I stared at him and said only two words to draw this out.

"I might." We went back to our staring contest while my mother was struggling to get some words out.

"How… how could you possibly know something, dear? Surely, you know nothing about the slums, since you are supposed to stay away from such trash." This statement made me flinch, but in anger. My fiancée came from the slums, and she was anything but trash. I still said nothing.

"And you know," my father began, still deceptively mild "I have been taking a recent review of our finances. And I made the startling discovery of the fact that all the money that we gave you mysteriously disappeared, yet the overall health of the slums improved. I got these reports on a regular basis, but I never really paid attention to them. But with the news of the… _strangely _named aqueduct, I became more interested in past events. Then there were your… disappearances. You said you were training. And I believed you because shortly after our excursion to the slums, you began getting stronger. You became the champion of the contests and held the title to this day. But I also think there might have been a specific motivation behind your training. It's time to fess up, son."

"What do you mean, Harold?" my mother asked him. My father stood up and pointed an accusing finger at me.

"I believe that our son has been lying to us for five years now, and I think he's been giving money to and associating with the trash in the slum!" My mother gasped and looked at me with worry.

"Is this true, Blade?" she asked softly, fearing my answer. I put my head down, but not in shame, in mockery. I gave a low chuckle, one that sounded evil to my mother and made her grow pale, while my father narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Well," I started "you're smarter than I gave you credit for, old man." My father's face flushed and my mother gave a small shriek of despair.

"Yes," I said, rising from my chair. "I have been giving money but not to trash. I have been giving money to the _citizens _of the slums. And I have been lying to you and associating with them for _seven _years, not five. In fact, it's working on eight years." My father just stood there, quaking with rage, and my mother was crying silent tears.

"I have snuck away every day for the past seven years and going to the slums with large amounts of cash on hand. There I would buy food for the children, I would give to families that had nothing, and occasionally, I would give them something expensive from my house that they would be able to sell or barter for. I helped families who were poor when you would have condemned them. I healed people where you would have written them off without a second thought. And now, I have given them the means to clean the streets that you so despise, as well as improve their health. I came up with the idea to build the aqueduct, and with the help of someone we got the project underway. It was finished yesterday, and the citizens of the slums cheered for me."

My father was frozen in place, his face tomato-berry-red, my mother was close to a breakdown. Then I gave the news to push them over the edge.

"But the news isn't all bad, you know." My father's face turned to one of suspicion, but my mother perked up at the possibility that her son wasn't entirely done for.

"I have a fiancée now" I said lightly. My father flinched at the revelation, and my mother timidly asked

"Who is she, dear?" her face picking up somewhat. I gave an evil smile, and my mother's face grew downcast and terrified again.

"Her name is Rose, and she's from the slums." My mother wailed, unbelieving, but my father shouted

"Guards!" Two guards appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, ready to take my father's orders.

"Put this blasphemous traitor in the dungeons and make sure that he never gets out!" The guards rushed for me, but I merely snorted and took them down with ease. I looked at my father's face and spat

"What? Did you already forget that I am the champion of the contests, seven years running? You can't beat me, and you won't keep me from marrying the girl I love!" I ran for the exit and my father shouted for more guards. I could see their numbers and I was somewhat daunted. But then I mentally shook myself and thought of my fiancée.

"_Rose."_

I began to fight, taking down one guard after another. But for every guard I defeated, two more stepped in to take their place. I knew it would be a matter of time before they finally subdued me. One against two hundred is hardly fair odds.

It took half an hour, but they finally began to weigh me down. Then I couldn't move anymore, and I knew that I had been beaten. I heard my father's footsteps, along with my mother's, and I looked up in hatred to see him giving me the same look.

"What shall we do with him, my lord?" one of the guards asked my father. Sneering, he said

"Throw him in the dungeons and lock him up with chains. He is to go on a bread and water diet until the contests. I have a special punishment in mind for him." My mother beseeched him.

"Please, Harold, think what you're doing. You are condemning your own son." My father's face turned from a sneer to cold hatred, and he jerked himself from my mother's grasp.

"I have no son."

My mother shrieked and fainted, one of the guards moving to catch her, while the others dragged me away, kicking and fighting the entire time, to the dungeons. When we arrived, I had exhausted all my spare energy, so it was easy for them to put me in the cold, heavy chains. This was a special dungeon, one built under the mansion especially for treasonous people so my father could interrogate them at his leisure. But I would say nothing. He could do whatever he wanted to me, but he would never crack me. But then I realized, he doesn't have to.

"_Rose."_

I had given her name, and in here I couldn't protect her. My father might just kill her off.

"_No, don't think like that" _I told myself. He said he had a special punishment in mind for me during the contests, and I had a sinking feeling it would involve her. Whatever the case, the contests were only a week away, but I knew this would be the hardest week I would ever experience.

**OMFG! What's going to happen next?!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Rag Doll, Chapter 15**

**Not saying anything. Just read.**

Rose's POV

After Blade left, I began to feel hollow and dead inside.

Corny? Yes, very.

True? Extremely.

Nothing was the same after he was out of my life. I kept telling myself it will pass, he'll be back, we'll be married and I'll never have to leave his side again. But all I could worry about is that his parents would never let him return. Still, he left quite a mark on this little town.

After the water began flowing, people started bathing, right off the bat! I was a little embarrassed, thinking people had no shame. But when I was shoved in myself (courtesy of Joy and Jasper) I began to feel the dirt running off of me, and I couldn't help it; I liked the feeling. I quickly rubbed my skin, getting more dirt and grime off, and I felt better and better. Still, I figured this would be a little more enjoyable in the privacy of my own house.

My father had started building a room around the place where the aqueduct flowed for us. It was going to act as a shower as well as our main water supply. In the original plans, Blade and my father designed the system so that each individual could stop the supply when they weren't using it, so the area wouldn't become flooded. It involves a curved piece of wood that's been waterproofed and fit into a slot. To make the water flow, we simply tug on a rope and tie it off. The wood lifts up, and out comes the water! We simply untie it to put it back down.

After I emerged from the shower, clean in I don't know how long, everyone looked at me in awe, which made me blush and meekly ask why everyone was staring. Joy and Jasper ran over to me, Joy handing me a mirror (which was really a piece of grimy glass) while Jasper said

"Blade is one lucky guy."

I began to look at myself in the mirror, and I was amazed by what I saw. Without all the dirt covering me, I was gorgeous! My eyes shone out against my skin in a way that the other Gardevoir's didn't seem to. My skin was a pure, brilliant white, it held a soft radiance. Where I was colored green it was a beautiful shade that reminded me of emeralds. My hair was the same way, and I wondered if Blade would recognize me now.

"Wow" I said softly.

"It's amazing what a difference a bath will make, huh?" Joy asked me. I nodded and said musingly

"Now I wonder if Blade will even recognize me."

"Of course he will, you are his fiancée after all!" I smiled now, happy that things were really starting to pick up. But I knew it couldn't last.

That night we were eating a big dinner in celebration of my engagement and of the aqueduct's success (my mother thought to roll two in one, just made sense to her) when we heard a loud knock on the door. Thinking it could be Blade, I ran to answer it. But when I opened the door, instead of seeing the warm, smiling face of Blade, I saw the stern, severe faces of two strange Gallade who wore the same sigil on their shoulders. I took a small step back and asked timidly

"C-can I help you?"

"We're looking for Rose. Is that you, by any chance?" one of the guards asked.

"Y-yes…" I responded, thinking I better not lie. That was a fatal mistake.

They reached forward and grabbed me roughly by the arms, and I began to yell out for my father. He sprinted in the room and saw what was happening. He gasped because he recognized the sigils that meant nothing to me. He stepped up, and I could see anger on every line in his face.

"What are you doing with my daughter?"

"She is being put under arrest for suspicion of seducing the Head Families son." He stared in shock before the words came to his mouth.

"That's ridiculous! My daughter never seduced ANYONE!"

"Doesn't matter, it's by order of the Head Family. If you decide to interfere in any way with this sanctioned arrest, you will be dealt with under the severest penalty: Death."

"Daddy, don't do anything, I'll be fine!" I told him, not wanting my mother to lose her husband or my siblings to lose their father. He was torn, but then relaxed. But he wasn't quite finished with the Gallades yet.

"Fine, I won't interfere. But make no mistake, if I get word that you harmed even a single hair on her, I will hunt you down and personally make your lives a living hell."

"Threats of this nature are unwarranted. The Head specifically asked for her to be delivered unharmed." He bowed his head and said

"Have a good evening, sir." Then the door was closed and I was whisked away.

Blade's POV

I was in meditation right now. I couldn't train my body, so I had to train my mind. The contests were only three days away now, and I had to be as prepared as I could possibly be. I had seen a surprising lack of my father, but that suited me just fine. He didn't consider me his son anymore, and I didn't consider him my father. I had done the unforgivable in his eyes. He had most always been barely forgivable in my books, and this was the final straw.

Suddenly I heard the door to the dungeon open, then several pairs of footsteps. At first I thought it could have been my meager meal, but then I thought

"_If all it is could be my meal, then why the heavy guard?" _Then I realized it could only be one thing. My eyes narrowed in hatred as my ex-father walked up to the door, then waited as one of the guards unlocked it so he could speak to me face-to-face.

"Blade" he addressed me as he entered, not showing the slightest amount of regret or empathy.

"What do _you _want? I won't give you what you're after, so you might as well save your breath. I suspect you're here to learn the location of my fiancée, but I won't talk. So get out of my sight." He chuckled darkly and said

"Oh, you mean Rose? I had her arrested two nights ago." The information sent chills down my body, and I started to say

"You better not hurt her, or else-"

"Or else what, Blade?" he interrupted, contempt showing on his face. My voice darkened to a degree even I had never heard before, and it spoke of sheer will and a promise behind each syllable that was spoken.

"I will hunt you down, and I will torture you, little by little, and whenever you scream, I will just laugh. There will be no force on earth, heaven or hell that could possibly protect you, and when I am finished, I will kill you in the most gruesome and painful manner I can think of." My ex-father wasn't fazed as he brushed himself off.

"Well, your threats are useless. She's on her way to a special dungeon right now. I even ordered her unharmed. I told you I would punish you in the contests, and believe me, _boy,_ it will be the most tortuous thing you will ever experience. Then we will see if you are so ready to disobey me again." And he left, leaving me to wonder what he could possibly have planned out for Rose and me.

Rose's POV

After I was taken from my house, I was put into a carriage of sorts and taken I don't know where. All I knew was the carriage was small, dark, and really uncomfortable. It was about two hours before we stopped, and I was taken back out. I saw a magnificent coliseum, but before I could look at the details, I was taken inside and shoved into a little room. All it had was a tiny bed and a toilet. I looked at the guard, who was closing the door and saying

"The Head will deal with you tomorrow. Good night."

And the door closed. I sat on the bed, which was also uncomfortable, and tried to piece things together. The "Head" who had me arrested had to be someone powerful if he's sending out two of his guards to arrest an innocent girl. Well, that narrowed it down to the high-class only, they had enough money and power to afford guards.

Next, I thought that it would have to be someone who would care about Blade getting married to someone from the slums. The answer was pretty obvious from the beginning, but I still felt I had to narrow down the possibilities. My arrest had been ordered by Blade's parents. Now all I could do was wait until tomorrow to address them. I rested my head against the hard surface of the bed, and even though it was an unfamiliar place, I fell asleep quickly.

I was suddenly woken to the rattling of keys and the distinct _click _of the door to my room opening. When the door was fully open, the two guards who arrested me stepped in. Then another Gallade followed, and this Gallade looked to be powerful in the sense that he could order anyone around and get away with it.

"So, you are the _Rose_ that's been causing problems within my family?" I don't know where my brevity came from, but it propelled me to say

"As far as I can tell, _you _are the one who's been causing problems with your own family, not me." Sneering, he asked

"An insolent one, eh? Figures that my ex-son would choose someone like that to be a mate." Cold dread filled me at those words.

"What do you mean 'ex-son'? What did you do to him? What are you going to do with me?" He scoffed and said

"He confessed that he was lying to me for the past seven years, so I had him arrested and I cut off all family ties between us. As for the both of you, I have a special plan in mind. You will just have to wait until the contests to find out what it is." Laughing like a villain, he left the room with his guards behind him. Then the door closed and locked, and I knew that all I could do was wait in agony for the contests.

**Ooh, this is getting exciting, isn't it? But the fun's not over yet. Wait for the next chapter to see what happens next!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Rag Doll, Chapter 16**

**Well, here we are! I have a disappointing amount of reviews still, so I want to encourage my potential readers that I care about your opinions; please, SPEAK UP! With that out of the way, let's move on to the story.**

Blade's POV

Today was the day of the contests, and I was getting anxious about what my ex-father had planned for Rose. I didn't care too much about what he _thought _he had planned for me; I knew I could handle it. Rose, on the other hand… she hadn't experienced so much of what she was going to. I was certain that my ex-father wanted to make an example out of both of us. He couldn't do anything drastic to me; the society would look pretty harshly on him for that. But as for Rose, the sky was the limit. If anything, the people would expect the punishments to rain down on her.

With that in mind, I made a promise to keep her as safe as I possibly could. Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing where she was being kept. I had tried searching for her with my mind, but I couldn't find her. Either she was out of my range, or my ex-father had made it so I couldn't contact her. Given my current situation, I thought the latter.

When the guards came to retrieve me, my ex-father accompanied them.

"I have a special surprise for you, Blade." he said with obviously malicious intent.

"Oh goody, I can hardly wait" I responded, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I was bound up and forced through. I hadn't seen the light in a week, so I winced when it assaulted my eyes. I also felt a bit weaker than I normally did due to my bread and water diet. Nevertheless, if I was going down, I was going down fighting. If I could, though, I wanted to escape with Rose. During my week in the dungeons, I realized that this city was corrupted, and if I wanted to marry Rose (which I did) then the best chance for us doing that was getting away. I also wanted to bring her family along.

I felt that she would agree to come with me, but she would be sad and rather lost without her family. However, I wouldn't force anyone to do anything they didn't want to. That included Rose. I hoped she would agree to come along, whether or not her parents did. But first I had to get through this ordeal.

As we approached the coliseum, I looked upon its magnificence for what I felt to be the last time. One way or another, I wouldn't be looking on this coliseum anymore.

Rose's POV

I knew the day of the contests had arrived, and all throughout my time here I was worrying over what was going to happen to Blade and I. I had a bad feeling that we were going to be separated, permanently. I tried not to let such dark thoughts swim through my head, but with nothing to do in my dank, dark cell, I couldn't help it. I wanted to be with Blade, feel his comforting warmth, and stay together throughout the night. But that didn't happen.

I heard footsteps outside my room, then the expected jangling of keys. The familiar _click _went out, and the door swung open. The two guards who had arrested me and then accompanied Blade's father during his visit entered the room, and without a word they grabbed me by the upper arms and led me out and down a large hallway. I could hear faint cheering, and I figured it was the crowd vocalizing their opinions, positive and negative, about the current fight. That did nothing but escalate my fear, but I wasn't entirely sure why.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked one of the guards.

"You'll see" was all he said.

After about ten minutes of weaving through endless halls, we finally started heading down some stairs. I had the distinct impression of prison chambers, but when we entered all I could see was an empty room with a slightly raised platform. Then I knew this had to be the battler's platform. In the coliseum, there are a multitude of seats that curve with the coliseum. Below the coliseum are rising platforms that carry the next challengers up into the actual arena. Whoever my opponent was surely had to be someone who was much stronger than me, quite capable of utterly destroying me. This had to be how the punishment was going to play out; I would be destroyed in front of Blade's eyes, and he would be forced to watch. If this was the case, I resolved to as defiant as I could possibly be. I would not cry out or give in to the pain. I would die proud, knowing that at least I had spent some time with my love.

Suddenly I felt the platform begin to rise, and I looked straight ahead of me, intending to give my opponent my best death glare. When I was finally aboveground, I stepped off my platform and stood tall and proud. When the opponent's platform had risen, though, my face was wiped instantly of its death glare. My knees fell out from under me, and I broke down crying. There was no way it could be done. That Gallade was truly sadistic.

My opponent… was _Blade._

Blade's POV

I was led throughout the coliseum, past all sorts of tapestries and banners. I could hear the crowds, and I smirked at the idea that they would be booing me for the first time ever. I had always provided a good show for the audience, but now I was considered a traitor. But I didn't care, I was leaving soon. I had a game plan, with several variants depending on the location of my fiancée.

"Here we are. You should recognize this room, Blade" my ex-father said.

I recognized it indeed. It was the Champion's platform. I looked over to him in suspicion.

"I had some… renovations made, especially for you. Come, see them."

With that he opened the door and the guards pushed me in. On the platform I could see a multitude of chains designed to make sure I didn't escape.

"What do you think?"

I knew I couldn't give in, so I ladled my voice in sarcasm but threw in hate too.

"All this for me? Gee, you shouldn't have."

His face still in triumph, he ordered the guards to chain me up. They took the ropes off which were quickly replaced with the cold metal. When they were finished, they rejoined my ex-father by the door, where he said

"Enjoy this moment of peace, _boy_, because you won't be having another one for a long, long time."

He slammed the door, leaving me with my thoughts. I quickly went over my options again, trying to determine where Rose might be located. My bet was that she somewhere in the box office, being forced to watch the events.

I could not have been more wrong.

When I reached the arena, the chains started to glow, then broke apart. I was to be given a fighting chance, just prevented from escaping the room or not staying on the platform. I turned to face my opponent and was dismayed to see Rose collapsed on the ground, crying. I rushed over to her, picked her up and asked

"What are you doing here?"

She sniffled and replied in a voice that was strained by sadness

"I was arrested the night you left and brought here. I was left in a room in the coliseum until the contests started. Your father told me that he had a special surprise in mind for me. I didn't know he meant something like this. I'm sure he expects us to hurt each other, at least."

My face darkened as I said

"I've renounced him, even as he renounced me. Don't worry; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Just as I finished saying this to her a blue glow surrounded both of us and we were torn apart. The entire time I had been in the arena, I had been racking my brains for a plan. I believed I had one. It was crude, but under the circumstances, it would have to do. Then I heard my ex-father's voice call out to the audience.

"What you see before you is a traitor! Blade shall be an example of what happens to those who defy my rule! I have placed him into battle with his precious fiancée, Rose from the slums!"

There were various booings from the middle- to upper-class sections, and pleas of stooping this madness. The next words that my ex-father spoke sent chills down my back and strengthened my resolve to escape.

"As punishment for this blasphemy, Blade will not be allowed to leave this arena until he has killed his precious fiancée and ended this nonsense!"

The outpouring of noise came mostly from the low-class section, cries of indignation, of rebellion, and outrage. The middle-class section was mostly stunned into silence. The high-class section was looking forward to the bloodshed, however. Rose looked over at me in horror, so I decided that it was time to make my move. I contacted her telepathically, making sure that I kept it hidden from everyone else, especially my ex-father.

"_What are we going to do?!" _she asked me, despairing.

"_We're getting out of here, that's what. Start circling me and I'll do the same to you. Don't ask questions, and don't betray any emotion." _I told her.

Her face became a blank mask, and then she started moving to my right, so I moved to her left. The crowd, mostly the middle- to high-class sections, began to cheer, while the low-class citizens became absolutely silent, waiting in horror.

"_Okay, here's what's going to happen" _I started _"I'm going to draw my blades in a minute and charge a Night Slash. While I'm doing that, I want you to charge up a Shadow Ball, a big one. Then I'm going to run at you and make it look like I'm going to attack you. But at the last second, I'm going to lose the attack and pick you up. This will happen when your back is to the door. Keep putting your power into the Shadow Ball because you're going to blow down the door with it."_

I could feel a momentary flair of confusion and dread fill her, but then she asked me

"_Then what?"_

I took a mental breath and replied

"_We run away. We're getting out of this corrupt city so we can realize our desire to be together."_

"_We're going to… elope?"_

"_Yes. I'm going to take you to the woods and we will wait until nightfall. Then we will see your parents so you can give your goodbyes. It won't be safe for you here, and I don't want you to get hurt. I will try to convince your family to join us, but I won't force them to go if they refuse. Will you agree to run away with me?"_

I waited for her answer, and it came tinged with sadness.

"_I'll run away with you, but only after saying goodbye to my family. I want them to come with us, but if they won't, then so be it."_

As she said this last part, I noticed a tear rolling down her face. I nodded as I began to draw my blades and charged a Night Slash. When I did, she put her hands together and began charging a Shadow Ball that got bigger and bigger until she compressed it, and then repeated the process. When her back was almost perfectly to the door, I began to run at her, zigzagging slightly to help my façade. She had compressed her Shadow Ball for the last time; she couldn't possibly put any more power into it and instead of it being the normal purple-black color, it was the color of the deepest possible shade of black. Everyone leaned forward in their seats in anticipation.

Suddenly, I withdrew my blades and scooped Rose up bridal-style all in the same motion. Then she hurled the pitch-black Shadow Ball with all the strength she could muster and blasted the doors off their hinges with a deafening sound, causing everybody in the arena except myself to flinch.

I set off in a dead sprint to my house. I kicked down the door and set Rose down, then scooped up a large bag and threw it to her, which she caught.

"Put all the food you can into that!" I shouted, flying up the stairs.

I could hear rattling below as she started throwing food into the pack I gave her. I quickly found my pack that still had my meager belongings and threw it over my shoulder, then ran back downstairs and helped her put the last of my food into the pack. Then I slung that over my shoulders and picked her up again and bolted out of the house. I ran for my secret tunnel which would provide us with a measure of safety until night. When I got there, I set Rose down and quickly pried open the door, shoved her inside and looked back to see that guards were running around, trying to find us. Luckily we hadn't been spotted yet, so I discreetly entered the tunnel and sealed the door, then sat next to Rose to catch my breath.

"Where are we?" she asked me in wonder.

When I finally caught my breath, I explained

"This is my secret tunnel. For the past six years I used it to reach the slums in secrecy after I had a close call where I was nearly caught sneaking there. The only one who knew about it was me. You know now, but I know you're not going to tell anybody."

She shook her head, confirming that our location was safe.

"This only goes as far as the entrances to the slums, but we can find the river and make our way to your parent's house tonight. Then we'll try to convince them to come with us."

She nodded. Then we stood and started down the tunnel. By the time we made it to the end, it was only a half hour away before it would officially be nightfall. We exited the tunnel and slunk back to the woods. Then we traveled to the river and followed it back. We came across the aqueduct about an hour and a half after we started walking, and by this time the sky was dark and the stars were out. We pressed on until the path became familiar, then changed course to her house.

When we reached the break in the woods, we could see her little house, and we saw two guards talking to her father. They soon left, and five minutes later we were at the door, whereupon I knocked softly. The door opened slowly, but when Jake peered out and saw it was us the door flew open and he embraced his daughter. We snuck inside so we could talk in secrecy.

"Where have you two been? The guards are looking for you everywhere. You just missed a pair barely five minutes ago."

"Yeah, we know. We didn't make our appearance until we were sure they were gone. We came here because we need to talk to you" I said to him.

He nodded solemnly and motioned for me to continue. I told him my plan for us to elope, mentioning that I wanted to bring her here so she could say her last goodbyes.

"Ah, you're a good soul, Blade. I agree, you two need to get out of this corrupted city and move on with your lives. You make sure to take good care of her, okay Blade?"

I nodded, understanding completely.

"Daddy, please come with us, you deserve to get out of here, too!"

He shook his head sadly, then looked his daughter in the eye and said

"I can't leave, honey. Your mother is pretty far along, and it would be a bad idea to try any strenuous moving. Your brother and sister wouldn't be able to take the trip. And I'm getting old, I just don't have the energy that I used to. We'll be fine, but you'll be hunted. I couldn't live with myself if you were caught. You need to get out of this city, and fast."

I chose this moment to add

"I was planning on leaving after Rose said her goodbyes."

Jake nodded, the tears forming in his eyes. But his were not the only tears being shed. Rose stood and went to her room to grab something, and when she returned, she had her rag doll in her arms.

"You want to take that with you?" I asked her.

She nodded, then sat back where she had before, unable to hold back her sadness. We talked for a few more minutes, mostly her thanking them for all they had done for her throughout her life. I added my own thanks to hers, and before long we stood to leave. Her parents stood with us and we gave our last round of hugs. Then we exited the house, me carrying both packs on my shoulders, her with her little rag doll clutched in her arms. We walked to the river and turned in the same direction we had been traveling in. We took longer than I thought; the sun was beginning to rise, and we could see it clearly. Rose turned to me and asked

"So, where do we going?"

I looked over to her and thought about all the suffering she had endured at the hands of this corrupted society, then reached my hand out to her. She looked at my hand for a second, then took it with her own. When she looked up to my face I smiled and said

"I don't know where we will go. I've never seen the world outside of this society. But whatever's out there has to be better than what's waiting for us back there."

She glanced back to the place she once called home, then looked back at me with tears in her eyes. I gently wiped them away and told her

"We just have to use this river as our guide and follow the sun to our new life. "

With that, we began walking toward the new sunrise and to whatever lies ahead of us.

**Alright guys, that's the end of the chapter but not the end of the story. With that in mind, it's time for another song! This next song fit in so well with the story that I decided to use it. The song is Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow The Sun) by Del Shannon. Youtube it and look for a blue album with a picture of the guy with his arms crossed. It also has the handy feature of lyrics in the "show more/show less" bar. Please look up, then review and tell me what you think. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Rag Doll Chapter 17**

**All right, we're in full swing now! Blade and Rose have run away from the Ralts society that they once called home to live their lives together. What will happen to them on their journey? Read and find out.**

Rose's POV

We had been walking for five days now, following the river the entire way since we needed a source of water. So far, we had not seen a hint of any civilization. Blade was undaunted though. He kept telling me that we would make it to a place we could call our own little home, where we could be safe. I tried to keep a happy face, but I was worrying if we were being followed by his ex-father's guards. Surely he wouldn't want to lose us; after all, he was determined to make examples of us.

When we stopped for the night, he began to prepare our supplies while I went to collect dead branches for a fire. I kept as quiet as possible while keeping my mind open for any people that we wouldn't want to meet. Besides the society's guards to worry about, we also had to be wary of trainers who would be interested in a traveling couple of Gardevoir and Gallade. I didn't know what we could do if we came across one, though.

I had collected a good amount of branches, so I headed back to our little camp. Blade already had a meal ready to heat up over the prospective fire. He managed to bring along a pot and a pan in his supplies before we left his house to make our escape. We mostly had to use our hands to eat since we were in a rush and didn't stop to pick up silverware. Still, we managed.

Blade was getting the fire going and preparing our dinner for tonight, which was soup. This was one of the few dishes that we could take straight from the container, so I felt happy about that. It made me feel childish eating with my hands, but it had to be done if I was to survive.

"Rose?"

My head jerked up, responding to Blade's call to me. He was holding out a can to me, waiting for me to take it. With a smile, I grasped it and took it from him, saying

"Thank you."

He was watching intently while I drank the soup, then asked me

"Is there something on your mind that's bothering you? You've seemed pretty distant in the last couple of days. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

I nodded, then told him exactly what had been weighing on my mind.

"Well, I've been worried that your…ex-father could have sent his guards after us. He was trying to make an example out of us, wasn't he? And then there's the fact that we are at the mercy of the wilds now, and we have the threat of trainers over us. I just don't know how we'll make it to a home we can call our own. And I really miss my family."

Blade came over and sat next to me and pulled me into one of his warm hugs, where I could escape, if only for a second, from the harsh realities that we were facing at the moment. Then he released me, looked me in the eye and tried to put my fears to rest.

"We're too far from the society for the guards to catch up to us now. Besides, my ex-father will just say that he was so powerful that he managed to make us run away in fear for our lives. The wilds won't pose much of a problem for us as long as we respect its power. The trainers we can sense with our minds and make the proper steps to avoiding them. And I know how badly you miss your family, but if you had stayed you would have just put them through more trouble. Besides, they know that I am here to protect you and provide you with a safe home. And I will. The only thing I wish is that we travel among the humans undetected."

"What if I told you there was a way?" asked a strange yet familiar voice.

We both whirled around and I saw Arceus, in his human form, looking at the scene before him. Blade jumped up and drew his blades, growling

"Who are you, and how did you understand us?"

The human-Arceus walked up to the fire, saying

"You might recognize my name; I am Arceus."

Blade looked at me and I nodded my head in confirmation. He put away his blades then turned to address Arceus and said

"I am sorry, my lord. Had I known it was you who was visiting us, I wouldn't have been so brash. Please forgive my impertinence."

Arceus waved away his apology.

"There is no forgiveness necessary. You were just protecting your mate. I understand. Now, are you interested in my proposal about you being able to walk among the humans without fear of being captured?"

Blade sat down next to me, across from Arceus.

"That depends. How do you propose it be done?" he asked.

"Simple." Arceus answered "I shall simply restore your ability to transform into a human."

We both must have looked flabbergasted at this because Arceus ended up laughing, nearly falling over as he did so.

"Ah, I never get tired of seeing a pokemon's reaction when I say that!" he stated, still laughing.

"So, wait," Blade started "Are you joking around, or are you serious?"

Once Arceus regained his composure, he looked at both of us and said

"I am serious. Didn't you know that _all _pokemon have the ability to transform into a human?"

We both shook our heads slowly, not understanding at all.

"Well, there's quite a story to it. Let me tell it to you." he took a deep breath and started his narrative.

"You see, when pokemon were first created they had more potential than what they experience today. They all had a unique power, one that allowed them to change their form. Before the event I will later explain, there was no such thing as humans. Some pokemon liked their human forms more than their pokemon forms. When in human form, you can still use your powers. You will not have your natural weapons, such as your arm swords, Blade, or as another example the horn of Heracross. Nonetheless, those who enjoyed their new forms more than their old ones began to mate in them. What came as a result of that is the being which is known as the modern human. They quickly spread across the earth, forgetting about their pokemon origins. Pokemon gave up this power, believing to be more of a curse since they could not produce normal offspring as they would prefer. The only ones who still hold the secrets to human transformation are the legends, the gods. Since we live for a much longer period of time, we still know the trick to transforming and often use it to avoid persecution by aspiring trainers."

Arceus sat back to let us process this flow of information. Finally Blade asked

"So you're telling me you can give us the ability to transform into humans? But if we want to have normal children, we must stay as pokemon?"

Nodding, Arceus said

"Looks like you have the gist of it. Are you interested?"

I looked over at Blade and said

"Why not? At least we'll be safe from the humans. And if I am right about those guards following us, they won't be able to recognize us. Plus, we could disguise ourselves among the humans and get valuable information."

Still thinking it over, he asked Arceus

"What exactly are the pros and cons to this transformation?"

Arceus began to answer Blade's question.

"Well, the main pros are that you will be able to disguise yourselves among the humans without having to worry about being caught. It seems that while you resemble a human, poke balls won't work on you. Further, you will still be able to understand pokemon but you can also communicate with humans without arousing suspicion, since you are already capable of speech, just not human speech in particular. Finally, you will still be able to use your powers while in human form. For the cons, while you are human, if you do decide to use your powers, they will be weaker than what you are accustomed to. You already know about the issue with mating. The last problem is that while you will look human, you will strongly resemble your pokemon form. So, you will simply look like a humanized Gardevoir and Gallade, which is what you will be. Pokemon before you simply passed off as eccentric dressers. You could use the same excuse if you wish to use the human form."

We thought for a second, then Blade nodded and said

"Alright, I accept. Rose?"

Standing, I said

"I accept as well. How is this going to work?"

Arceus himself stood, then walked over to me. When he stopped in front of me, he looked over to Blade and said

"Do you mind if I start with the lady first?"

He shook his head and said

"By all means, go ahead."

Then Arceus gently took my head in his hands, forcing me to look at him. He leaned in and touched his forehead against mine. At first, I felt nothing. Then, after Arceus stepped back I felt a tingling sensation all over my body. I was enveloped in a bright white light, and everything disappeared from my sight.

Blade's POV

As I saw Rose being taken over by the white light, I jumped up in case she needed my help. When the light faded, I was amazed by what I saw.

Rose was still the same height, but she looked very different now. She still had green hair, but it fell over the front of her shoulders instead of curling up. She also had red eyes. Her skin was pink instead of white, and she appeared to be wearing a fitted green cardigan. Where the sleeves ended, about to her elbow, she was wearing smooth green ball gloves. It looked like she was wearing a long, flowing ball dress that was completely white and ruffled toward the bottom. Where her chest spike had been was now a small red crystal that was connected to a thin green chain that went around her neck like a necklace.

"Wow, look at you Rose, your beautiful!" I exclaimed.

She blushed, but accepted the compliment, the decided to play with me.

"Oh, and I wasn't beautiful before?"

I walked over to her and took hold of her gloved hand, saying

"My dear, you will always be beautiful to me, whether you are a pokemon or a human."

She blushed again, then looked at Arceus and asked

"How do I change back?"

"Concentrate on your pokemon form and imagine that tingling you should have felt the first time you transformed" he answered.

Rose closed her eyes and was engulfed in the white light again. When it faded, she looked back to normal. She opened her red eyes and gazed upon me happily.

"Your turn, now."

I nodded and stood in front of Arceus, who did the same thing he did to Rose to me, taking my head and making contact with my forehead. I felt a tingling sensation all over my body, just as he mentioned should happen, and the bright light surrounded me. When it faded and I got my sight back, I inspected my new form. Rose handed me the pan which was well polished on the bottom so it acted as a mirror.

I still had green hair, and in the middle I had what the humans refer to as a Mohawk. The rest of my hair lined my face. I also had red eyes and pink skin, just like rose. But instead of a cardigan, I had on a green jacket that reached my waist. I was also wearing green gloves, but they only went as far as my wrists. The final features were a small red crystal like Rose's on a green chain as a necklace and full white pants with white shoes.

Arceus smacked his fist downward onto his open palm as if he just remembered something.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you! Any injury you sustain will stay with you even if you transform. So, with that I will take my leave!" and he vanished I a flash of light. I transformed back into my pokemon form and began to pack up the supplies so we could sleep for the night and still make a quick getaway if needed.

"Well, tonight has been an interesting night, hasn't it?" I asked Rose.

Nodding, she helped me put up the rest of the supplies, then we curled up together near the fire in my sleeping bag that I brought with us, waiting to see what tomorrow would bring.

**Alright, that's the end of this chapter. Please let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Rag Doll, Chapter 18**

**Okay, comin' up with another one for ya. So far Blade and Rose have been running away from home in an attempt to find peace with each other. Arceus has graciously given them the gift of transformation so they can slip around humans (mostly) unnoticed. Now they will continue on their journey.**

Rose's POV

When we woke up the next morning, the air was crisp and clean. Blade was already working out, which made me smile. Even on the run he wouldn't pass up his training.

"How long are you going to be doing that?" I asked him.

"Don't worry, I'm almost finished."

"No, I mean how long are you going to keep that training regimen going?"

He looked me right in the eye and said

"Until the day that I die. I need to stay strong, and the best way to do that is to keep working. Besides, I want to catch up for lost time while I was in that cell. Moreover, I'm protecting you now, and I refuse to fail in keeping you safe."

I smiled again at his response and decided to get breakfast ready. When I started going through the pack, though, my heart started to fail.

"We're almost out of food. What are we going to do?"

Blade paused for a moment, then asked me

"How much do we have left?"

I looked through the pack again and answered

"About a day and a half, if we go on like we have been."

He was thinking to himself as he finished his pull-ups.

"Okay, well we can't be too far from civilization now. Hopefully the local pokemon will know of an area where we could rest, and since we have our human disguises we could make it in a human city."

"But what about money? We don't have any of that" I pointed out to him.

He stopped in mid-pull and slapped his face.

"Of all the things to forget about…" he muttered.

This sight made me giggle and his mood improved when he heard me giggling. He finished his workout and dropped to the ground, then joined me by our campfire. He sorted through the food until he came across something he thought would be suitable for breakfast. We ate in relative silence, but I could tell he was trying to plan our next move. When we finished, we transformed into our human disguises and set off again.

I was intrigued by my new form. Arceus said we could communicate with humans but still understand pokemon. He also told us that we could still use our powers but they would be weaker. Interested, I charged a Shadow Ball and directed it at a rock. When it landed, the rock developed some cracks, looking as if another hit would break it apart.

"That's pretty strong, Rose" Blade commented me.

"No, that was actually pretty weak. If I was in pokemon form, it would have reduced that rock to rubble."

He looked over at me in surprise, then glanced back at the rock. When he faced forward, he had a glazed expression and muttered just loud enough for me to make out

"Note to self; Do NOT piss Rose off."

This made me giggle again, which made him smile. We walked on for about five minutes, when suddenly a large Heracross came across our path. He looked at us, seeming bewildered. I smiled and asked him

"Hello there. What's your name?"

He looked slightly mad at that and responded

"What's it to you, lady?"

I took a step back, affronted.

"Well, that's not a very nice thing to say!"

The Heracross flinched in surprise.

"You can understand me? No human has been able to understand me before."

Blade smiled, then transformed, and I followed suit.

"Well, we're not entirely human, you see" Blade told the Heracross.

The Heracross flinched again, then asked

"How did you do that?"

I began to explain for his sake.

"Well, we were once part of a corrupt society, and we wanted to become mates, but it was heavily looked down on. So we ran away and are trying to find a new place to call home. Along the way, we talked with Arceus who gave us the ability to transform into human disguises. Evidently, all pokemon had it at one point but gave it up because of the consequences."

The Heracross nodded, then said

"Okay, I think I get it. Then allow me to say that I am sorry for my earlier behavior. I have never associated well with humans, but I always get along with fellow pokemon. My name is Drake. Who are you, if I may ask?"

"I'm Blade, and this is my fiancée, Rose" Blade replied.

Drake bowed to both of us and said

"Pleased to meet you both. Now, I can tell you have a question on your minds, so don't be afraid to ask."

Nodding, Blade said

"Actually, yes. We have been on the run for almost a week now, and our food supplies are running low. Is there a civilization of some sort, human or pokemon, where we could find a place to rest?"

Drake bowed his head in contemplation for a moment, then said hesitantly

"Well, there is a small pokemon town a little ways down that path over there, but I really suggest you stay away from it. It's very seedy, and has a habit of holding gangs and prostitutes. I never cared for it myself. It's only for those who are desperate. I've been there a few times myself on business, but every time those damned Delcatty and Glameow try to get me. I don't mind putting some hurt on the local gangs, but if anything will drive me to insanity, it will be the local prostitutes. Sorry, am I rambling?"

I smiled, Blade smirked and said

"Sort of. But we really need more supplies, so if there is somewhere we could get them, then I feel we should take our chances."

Drake nodded, understanding, then turned down the path he had indicated earlier and said

"Alright then, follow me. I have a bit of business to take care of in that Arceus-forsaken place anyway. I take it neither of you has any money?"

We shook our heads, and he seemed to expect it.

"Okay, then allow me to buy your supplies for you."

Blade and I were about to protest, but he waved away our arguments and said

"Don't worry about it. I make too much money and never use it. I prefer to live off of nature, but I don't think that will work for either of you. Besides, if you plan on continuing to human civilization, you need more readily available supplies at your disposal."

Blade nodded his head in thanks, which Drake accepted, then asked

"Are there any human civilizations nearby?"

Drake shook his head, then replied

"Nope. The nearest one isn't for another week, and the path to it is pretty dangerous. At the very least, you should have more food packed away if you want to make that trip, but I would highly suggest some lanterns as well. There are some spots you just can't stay in, so you get prompted to move. The problem is, the forest canopy is so thick, and not even a full moon could penetrate the darkness. Shadows cling to that particular section of this forest. There is another human area, about a month away. It is a long journey, I admit, but the place itself is safe. The best part is, it seems to be a place for poke fanatics, or people who love to dress up as pokemon. Given what I have learned from you today, though, my guess is that these are more pokemon that have figured out human transformation. I wouldn't _bet _on it, but that could be the case."

After about ten more minutes of walking, Drake stopped and said tightly

"Well, here we are. The pokemon capital of gangs and sluts. Mind your step, you might attract unwanted attention."

We walked down to the little town. It didn't seem all that bad in my view, but I had learned from past experience that looks could be deceiving. When we passed under the rotted archway that signified the entrance to the town, all eyes immediately trained on us. I scooted closer to Blade, feeling nervous.

When we got about halfway into town, though, I was pushed aside by a Delcatty.

"Hey!" I shouted out indignantly. She ignored me and sized up Blade, whereupon she purred

"Hey big boy, what's your pleasure?"

"M-my p-p-pleasure?" Blade stammered, looking confused and distraught.

"Yes, your pleasure. What'll it be?" the Delcatty asked, purring deep in her throat now.

I wanted to rip her limb from limb, but given where we were, I thought that would be a bad idea. Since we were pokemon, I would have full use of my capabilities. So I used Psychic on the Delcatty and threw her back, sending her rolling on the ground and messing up her fur. I joined Blade and took hold of his arm as the Delcatty rose up and growled at me, whereupon I glared at her and stated

"My pleasure would be to tear you apart. Short of that, stay away from my fiancée!"

She glanced back up at Blade, then to me, then scoffed and turned her back on us, tail in the air, and pranced away. I continued to glare at her back until she disappeared from sight and Drake chose that moment to say

"What did I tell you, the capital of sluts. You can't take a step without being assaulted by one of them."

As if to prove his point, when he turned around he found his path blocked by a Glameow that seemed to sparkle intensely.

"Hello, Drake. What would you like today?"

Drake sighed, pinching the base of his horn with his thumb and forefinger, then bowed his head and picked her up in his horn, walked about five feet to his right, then set her down and told her

"Look, Sparkle, I told you I wasn't interested anymore. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"What will it take to win you back, Drake? Please, tell me" Sparkle pleaded with him, tears in her eyes.

"You've already betrayed me once; I won't let it happen again. Now leave me alone."

She slunk away, crying softly. Then he opened the shell on his back to reveal two transparent wings that he used to get back to us. He continued walking as he explained.

"Her name is actually Teresa, but when she came to this town she decided to be called Sparkle for reasons I'm sure I'll never know beyond her fur. Anyway, I met her in the forest a few years back, and at first I thought she was nice. I started dating her, but one night I found her in my bed with an Eevee, so I kicked her out. She's been trying to get back in my good books since then, but I'm not really the one to forgive something like that."

"I'm so sorry" I told him.

"Well it doesn't matter anymore. Let's just get your supplies, take care of my business, and get out of here."

"By the way," Blade started "I've been meaning to ask you, what exactly is your business?"

Drake grunted, then replied

"I'm a gang beater by hire. If you have a specific grudge against a gang, or anyone in a particular gang, I'll teach them a lesson, the specifics of which depend on the reason for the grudge. It's a dangerous job, but I enjoy helping others. I know I said I had no use for money, but I like to collect it in case I come across someone who needs it. Then I can give them what they need and send them happily on their way."

Blade's eyes lit up at the information, and he said

"I can sympathize with you, Drake. Back in our old society, I was the son of the richest people in the city. My fiancée here was part of the low-class district, nicknamed the slums. When I was about thirteen or so, I started using my parents' money to help the slummers get by. Recently I helped put together an aqueduct so they could experience the pleasure of clean water from the local river without having to travel almost an hour to get to it."

Drake looked back at Blade in admiration.

"Is that so? Well, good for you, Blade. I've never understood why there was so much hatred in this world. I know I'm not innocent of harboring such feelings myself, but it still never made sense to me. What we need is more people like you, Blade, people who will go out of their way to help others without asking anything in return. You're a one of a kind, you are."

Blade blushed at the praise he was getting and said

"Thank you. But what about you? You help others, too, and any money you make off of it goes to a good cause."

Drake waved off his praise and replied

"I don't count. All I do is beat other people up because there is a grudge being held against them. That is not how I define graceful charity. At any rate, I'm thinking about quitting this business after this final job. I'm getting tired of it and I want out of this blasted forest, especially far away from this cursed town. Let's get your supplies and get out of here."

As he finished this last statement, he held open a wooden door that led into a small mart of sorts. We stepped inside, but as we did I caught a glimpse of Blade's face. It was hard with thinking, and I wondered what could be on his mind.

**Okay, end of chapter 18! Let me know what you think and how I did, and wait for the next chapter to come out. Peace!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Rag Doll, Chapter 19**

**Boy, this is gonna go on for a while isn't it? :D Still, please review and let me know what you like and what you don't like, I love getting input from my readers. It can help influence how the author's next story might run. You might be surprised how much I granted a viewer's request because they wanted something to happen. If you have a request and I can work it in the story (chances are I can) don't hesitate to ask. Now, why don't we move on?**

Blade's POV

As we entered the store, I was contemplating Drake's words. He seemed sincere about quitting his line of work, so I wondered if he would travel with us. He was a wealth of information, and it looked like he needed a new purpose in his life, a new drive. I liked the sound of the human city he mentioned before, despite itbeing a month away. If there really were pokehumans, then we could fit right in. My reverie was broken by Drake as he asked what supplies we needed.

"Huh? Oh!" was my first response.

"Blade, are you okay? You look a little out of it. Was it that Delcatty?" Rose first asked me in concern, but when she mentioned the Delcatty, her face turned fierce, and she was on the brink of leaving the store to hunt her down. I put my arm around her shoulder and told her

"No, no, I'm fine, just thinking."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you later."

I looked at the supplies that lined the shelf and I saw a lack of food. I turned to Drake for an answer which he promptly gave.

"We'll be going somewhere else for food. This is the place for preliminary supplies."

I turned my attention back to the shelves, then to the old Alakazam who was running the counter.

"We need two lanterns, please. We could also use a pot and pan if you have them, preferably large. If you also have some silverware, I would be interested in those too."

The Alakazam looked up at me and said

"That lantern's the only one I got, so you can only buy one. I have a large pan but no pots. The only thing I got in the line of silverware is knives."

I almost sighed in exasperation, but instead I said

"Alright, we'll take it."

The Alakazam started bundling up the supplies I had ordered while Drake slid a stack of coins to him. The Alakazam looked the pile over, then nodded and handed over the supplies, taking the money. We left the store and looked over to our guide, who was searching for something.

"Okay," he finally said "Why don't you two go ahead and wait over there by that bench while I take care of my business? I promise I won't be long, then I'll take you somewhere you can stock up on food. Then we'll head back to my place where you can stay for the night. Whatever you do, don't get involved with anybody or anything. Understand?"

We both nodded, then walked over to the indicated bench, where we sat down. We watched Drake look around again and walk over to a small group that was hanging around outside of a bar. He spoke to a Pidgeot, presumably his target, and not long after, the fight ensued. He was a marvel at battling. The odds were stacked against him, but he fought without fear. It looked like he didn't even have to think to battle. He was a natural.

"Looks like he doesn't care if everyone sees him taking on gangs in the middle of public" Rose commented.

"Well, it looks like he knows what he's doing, plus he's been doing this for a while" I answered her.

"Yeah, but he said he wanted to quit. Anyway, what were you thinking about that had you so distracted?" she asked me.

I looked at her, but my gaze grew distant and I said

"I was wondering if we could convince him to come along with us. He seems pretty smart, he really knows his way around the forest. Plus we could use the extra company, and I have a feeling he wouldn't mind a bit of company himself. What do you think?"

Rose thought for a bit, then looked at me and said

"Do you really think we could convince him to leave the forest to live with humans?"

"From what I understand, it sounds like that city is mostly inhabited with other pokemon that can transform into humans, too." I told her.

She gasped, realizing my intentions.

"You mean you want to travel for a month to get to a city where our future could be uncertain?"

"Our future is pretty much uncertain wherever we go, except the society, where we would be killed. But if there is a chance that we could live in a city where we are nothing more than weary travelers looking for another home with potential friends, then I think we should take it."

She bowed her head, thinking, but suddenly it shot up and there was fear in her eyes.

"Oh no!" she shouted, pointing at Drake.

He was in a bad position right now. He was being held down by a lackey of the Pidgeot, who was pointing a gun at Drake. I jumped up and said to Rose

"Stay here."

She nodded and I took off in the direction of the alleys. I wasn't familiar with their design, but it was so simple that the pattern was easy to draw out. I snuck around until I could see the Pidgeot in front of me, except now I could hear what they were saying.

"So, ya thought ya could mess with the great Jim, huh? Well, did ya?!"

I could see that the Pidgeot, obviously Jim, had numerous scratches on him, some of which were bleeding. Drake looked past the barrel of the gun and mocked Jim.

"You don't look so great from where I'm sitting."

Some of Jims cronies were laughing at this, but a glare from him put a stop to that.

"So, we got a mister funny man, do we? Well, we'll see how funny you are when you're pushin' up daisies!" Jim shouted.

"Not today!" I called out to him, charging out from my hiding place and hitting Jim with a ThunderPunch. He went flying before he knew what hit him, and he crash landed on the hard, unforgiving ground.

"Get him!" one of the gang members shouted out.

They all began to charge me, some with brass knuckles, others with pipes, but nobody else had a gun. I guessed that was a special privilege for the pack leader.

I waited until one guy threw a brass-knuckled fist at me, then I moved my head to the side and grabbed his wrist. Continuing with the momentum, I threw the guy into a few of his counterparts, knocking them over. Another guy ran up behind me with a steel pipe. I felt his presence behind me the whole time and smirked. I jabbed my elbow while ducking to avoid a head blow. My elbow met his stomach, and the pipe came into my view. I grabbed the pipe and pushed the guy behind me away. When I looked up I saw I was surrounded by the rest. They all began yelling and charging at once, and I smirked again.

At the last second, I jumped out of their path so they collided with each other, leaving me unharmed. At the pinnacle of my jump, I threw the steel pipe at the guy who was still holding Drake down, knocking him out cold. I landed on the guys who had been trying to charge me. All of them were down except for two who ran at me side-by-side. When they got close, I front-flipped over them, knocking their heads together as I sailed over them. I landed on my feet as they fell to the ground. Then I walked over to Drake to help him up. As he stood, he looked at the mess before him and said

"You're quite the fighter."

I started laughing at that, and soon he joined in. Then we walked over to Rose, who was on her feet, worried about me, running up when we came within earshot and inspecting me to the point where I took hold of her and lifted her head to meet my eyes and said

"Don't worry, I'm fine. They couldn't even land a blow on me. They were pathetic."

She nodded, still looking concerned, but let the matter drop.

"Okay, Drake, what's next?" I asked.

"Well, we gotta get you some food so you can last on your journey, then I'll go collect the payment. We'll head over to my place once we're finished here and I'll help you plan out your route."

"Actually," I started "I want to put off getting the food for now, because I wanted to talk to you for a bit. We can get that stuff tomorrow, if that's fine with you."

Drake looked confused for a moment, then looked at the low position of the sun.

"Hmm… well, I guess I have no problem with that. But what do you want to talk to me about?"

"I'll explain on the way."

As we went back to Drake's place, I began to explain my idea for him to travel with us, hoping he would agree. When I finished, he held his head down, thinking hard.

"Hmm, well it's an interesting idea, I'll say that much. This much I know; you will need a guide. I could simply point you in the right direction, but there are all sorts of dangers."

He stared wistfully into the sky.

"I do want to get out of here. I appreciate nature and all she's done for me, but I think I've hung around for too long. It's time I got out and saw the world… maybe find a mate of my own."

He paused. Then he turned to face us.

"Okay, I want to go with you two, but if I'm going to go then I need to be able to transform like you two. Any chance you can make that happen?"

Rose and I looked at each other, then I asked her

"Do you think we should contact Arceus?"

She looked at her hands for a moment, then put her right hand to her chin while her left arm supported her right.

"Maybe we can do it ourselves. After all, we are psychic types. We can give information through our minds."

"But I don't really know how to do that except in the case of telepathy" I said.

"Hmm…" she mused, walking over to Drake and getting on her knees.

"Do you mind if I try the same thing Arceus did to me to make me transform? I don't know if it will work, but I think we should at least try."

Drake nodded and said

"Sure, fire away."

Rose took a deep breath and I held mine. She gently took hold of Drake's head and forced him to look at her eyes. Then Rose pressed her forehead against Drake's, or as best as she could get, considering his massive horn, and held the position for a moment. At first, nothing happened. Then Drake started to say

"Hey, I feel-"

He was interrupted by the white light that engulfed his body, and faded away a moment later. In the place where Drake stood was the visage of a middle-aged squat, stocky man. He had a rather long nose and black-grey eyes with yellow flecks. He was also bald. He wore all blue, blue shirt, pants, shoes, even blue fingerless gloves. He also had a blue trench coat that extended the length of his body but split into two tails by his waistline.

Once he was finished looking himself over, he turned to us and said

"Well, this is quite the surprise."

We all started to laugh, and once we finished Drake asked

"So how do I turn back?"

I told him

"Focus on your pokemon form and remember that tingling feeling."

Drake closed his eyes and a moment later he was back to normal. He opened his eyes and said

"Well, that seals the deal! I'm taggin' along if you don't have any problems with it!"

We both shook our heads, then we all went to Drake's cave to retire for the night.

**Alright, they have a new friend coming along! I would like to know if my readers want to know a little bit more about Drake's past. All I need is one person to say yes, then into Drake's past we will go! Please review and give me your answer. Have a nice day, everybody! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Rag Doll, Chapter 20**

**Next!**

Blade's POV

When we arrived at Drake's cave, I saw that it was of a simple design but had a few rooms, a couple of which looked to be hand carved. I pointed this out to Drake and he responded

"Yeah, when I first moved in here about… twenty-four, twenty-five years ago, it was much smaller than this. But I liked it, I checked around to see the whole thing but found that this cave sinks into a mountain. You can't really see the evidence of this from outside because of all the foliage. Emboldened by this, I began to use my horn and Brick Break to expand my cave. I finished it about fifteen years ago. I would have been finished in ten, but I was often harassed by local gangs. Once I got them to leave me alone, I was able to concentrate on my home. I even added a guest room since I liked to help people, and thanks to the local gangs there was never a shortage of injuries."

I looked at Drake questioningly, and Drake saw this and asked

"What?"

"It sounds like you had a troubled past. If I'm prying, please let me know, but sometimes it's good to get pressure like that off your chest."

Drake laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, saying

"Well, you could say I had a troubled past. Things weren't exactly easy growing up during my time. But I never had anyone to tell. I've always been a loner. I was going to talk to Teresa, or Sparkle now, but when I caught her with someone else, my heart hardened. I thought then that I couldn't really tell anybody else. People are cruel, and it seems to me that when you open your heart to others, that's when they'll stomp on it." He sat down, then looked up at Rose and I and asked

"Have either of you any idea what that feels like?"

I shook my head, but Rose nodded, then she seemed struck by an idea. She ran over to and opened the small pack that I had brought along and dropped off by the entrance to Drake's home. After searching for half a minute, she exclaimed and brought out a muddy looking object. Her rag doll. I had forgotten she took it with her.

"What's that, Rose?" Drake asked.

Rose looked up at Drake, then smiled and hid the doll behind her back and walked forward. When she was close enough for Drake to see, she brought out the little doll and presented it to him.

"It looks like a little rag doll…" Drake told her.

Rose nodded, then replied

"It is a little rag doll. But more than that, it's my first friend."

Drake looked confused but interested.

"What do you mean?"

"Back in our society" Rose started "I lived in the slums, the low-class district. We have a high population, and were close-knit. But I was very shy when I was a Ralts. Any attempt to make friends resulted in failure on my part for a while. After my first attempt I was really depressed. My father came into my room that night and told me he had a surprise for me. Then he brought this little doll from behind his back. It was in better condition than it is now, but I've done my best to take care of it. My father told me that I now had a little friend to come home to every night. He still wanted me to try and make new friends, but at least I would have one to look forward to if I failed. I told this doll everything, all my problems, all my hopes and dreams, and I would go to sleep every night comforted by my little friend. Over the years, my mother tried to make me get rid of the doll, but I always got it back one way or another. I just couldn't throw away my first friend, the only one who didn't mock me or tease me or call me names. I managed to find real, living friends eventually, but I kept this doll as a reminder of who I was and what I wished for. And… when the time comes, I want to have children of my own and give this doll to my daughter." Then she hugged the doll close to her chest, tears leaking out of her eyes. I put my arms around her to comfort her. At the sound of a sniffle that didn't belong to her, we looked up to see Drake wiping away tears of his own. He looked at us and said

"I'm sorry, that's just a very touching story, Rose. I guess my heart isn't as hard as I imagined. I hope you do have children of your own and that they are every bit as beautiful as you."

"Thank you" Rose said softly.

Drake nodded and said

"And since you have told me your story, and I know Blade's, it's only right that you should both know mine. Please, sit."

Rose and I moved to the couch that was actually a large carved piece of rock with a few layers of moss over it. It was actually quite comfy. Then we looked at Drake, who was looking into the darkness outside his cave.

"My father was abusive. Every night he would come home and start beating my mother. When he got bored of that, he moved on to me and my siblings. I tried to protect them as best I could, but when your exoskeleton is cracked, it becomes very painful to move."

Rose looked at him with avid horror, while I sat there feeling sick. My parents were idiots, yes, but they never struck me. And I knew that Rose's parents would never hurt her like that.

"If any of us stepped out of line, it was a guarantee of at least ten minutes of beating. After about thirteen years of it, I had had enough. My mother was always weak due to raising us and getting beaten night after night. My siblings were still young, but even around strangers who meant nothing but good, if they so much as raised a hand, they would burst into tears and run away. I hated my father for the damage he had done. I started training myself when I was eight, and after five years I felt like I was ready to take him on. But I wouldn't be satisfied at simply defeating him. He had beaten us every night for as long as my siblings were alive, me for most of my life, and my mother shortly after she had me. No, winning against him wouldn't be enough. Even if I won, things would go back to the way they were, except worse. I didn't want that. I knew there was only one way to stop him."

"No…" Rose said.

"Yes, you're sitting in the presence of someone who killed his own father for reasons to protect his family. I may be a murderer, but I do have my own values and ethics. Shortly after I killed my father, I packed my things and told my mother she and her children wouldn't have to suffer anymore. I said goodbye and never looked back."

Drake looked at us now, scrutinizing our reactions. I was unsure what to think. He was a murderer, but for the reason of protecting his family.

"_But still, to kill your own father…"_ I thought. But then a voice inside me said

"_Isn't that what you threatened to your own father? Except you also threatened to torture him, and laugh if he screamed."_

I looked up at Rose, who was crying silent tears, then to Drake, who had his face closed off. I stood and told Drake

"You had a rough past. I understand that. However, this does not change the fact that I still want you to join us."

Drake's face brightened up considerably, and he asked

"Really?"

I nodded, then said

"You are the first friend we have made since we left the society, and you killed your father to save your family from further abuse. I can respect that, even if I do not entirely agree with it."

Drake let out a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair. He looked up at me and said

"Thank you, Blade. Your words have lifted a heavy burden that's been resting on my shoulders since I was fifteen years old. I will happily travel with you two, and when we reach this city, I want to settle down and start my own family. Even as you two might be doing."

With that said, we decided it would be a good time to go to bed and wake up early tomorrow. Rose and I went into the guest room and saw a bed that was made in the same manner as the couch. We lay on the bed together, not worrying at this point since we were no longer part of the society. Rose placed her head at my shoulder and I held her close as we peacefully fell asleep.

Rose's POV

When I woke up, I saw that Blade wasn't by my side anymore. He was really insistent about his training. I stretched my body and sat up, thinking about what I had heard last night. I told myself not to judge Drake's character based on his past, only on what I had seen from him already. It really was amazing that he told us his story after having only known us for about a day.

I exited the room and found Blade and Drake already up and getting ready to eat breakfast.

"Good morning" they both said to me, and I replied in kind. We sat to eat, then started talking about our plans.

"The first thing I want to do is get some bigger packs" said Blade.

"One month's worth of food will not fit in those packs alone. Plus we have our own supplies in there. We need more room."

Drake nodded and said

"I have some packs stored away in my room, I'll bring them out when we're finished here."

We soon finished eating, and when the dishes had been cleaned and stored away, Drake went into his room and brought out two more packs that were bigger than our biggest pack.

"Okay, those are perfect" Blade said to him.

"Now we just need to go pick up the food for our trip, and then we can be on our way" Drake told us.

We headed out the door to his cave and Drake turned to it for one last look before he left it forever. Then he turned and said

"Follow me."

After a couple of hours, we reached a somewhat lively forest market that was teeming with pokemon. We gathered food from various places, packed it away, then left to find the poke human city.

**Okay, I admit this chapter was a little short, but I want to keep the actual traveling altogether. It made little sense to start their journey now and try to continue it next chapter. Anyway, review and tell me what you liked. Or disliked. Heck, just write some reviews.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Rag Doll, Chapter 21**

**Wow, 21 chapters?! This has to be more than what I've written altogether throughout high school. I'm starting to get some reviews now, as well as talking with some of the people who have favorited my story. Thank you all for waiting patiently for updates.**

Blade's POV

We were traveling to the poke human city, the name of which I did not know and Drake had forgotten. But we left in high spirits. Rose and I were looking forward to the prospects of a new home, one where we could be safe from persecution, one where we could be together and raise a family…

It was day two and so far things had been uneventful. We had not encountered anyone during our trek through the woods, which we were grateful for. We did not want to be hindered by anything. It was about midday when Rose and I felt the presence of a human. We warned Drake and we all transformed five minutes before we met up with him.

He was still young, he looked as if he recently started his journey. He faced us and said

"Hey, do any of you have any pokemon?! I challenge you!" he pulled a red and white sphere off his belt and threw it into the air. In a flash of white light, a Treecko popped out. The little wood gecko shouted its name and prepared its battle stance, which looked untested.

"Sorry, young man, we're not trainers. We're poke fanatics, looking for the city of poke fanatics, which we understand is a month's journey from here" I said.

His face fell, followed by his head, and he raised the ball and said in a dejected voice

"Treecko, return."

A red beam shot out of the ball and hit the Treecko. It turned red and was sucked back into the ball. He turned his attention back to the three strange people in front of him and said

"Sorry I shouted at you like that. I just started on my pokemon journey, and I'm trying to get stronger. But I haven't seen any trainers or pokemon since I left. Oh well, I guess I'll just keep going."

"Okay," Drake told him "But don't go in that direction." He motioned in the direction we had been coming from.

"There are a lot of dangerous pokemon out that way, you're likely to get hurt."

The young trainer nodded and thanked Drake for his advice, then turned to leave, but stopped and turned back around.

"By the way, my name's Timmy! Who are you?"

"I'm Rose."

"Name's Drake."

"I'm…uh… Jim."

Rose and Drake looked at me, but Timmy didn't seem to notice.

"Okay, it was nice meeting you all! Have a safe trip!" And he was gone.

After he left, we transformed back to pokemon form, and Rose looked up at me and asked

"Jim?"

Flushing, I said

"Well, I couldn't call myself by my actual name!"

Shaking his head, Drake said

"Well, we shouldn't have to worry about it anymore. That trainer was a real rarity. No one really travels this way anymore. Let's keep going."

So the journey continued. True to Drake's word, we saw no further evidence of trainers. The trek continued unbroken for the next twenty-eight days. On the night of the twenty-ninth, however, we got a special visit.

We had settled camp for the night and were eating dinner when Arceus suddenly appeared out of thin air next to our campfire, making the rest of us jump in surprise.

"Hello, all. How are we this fine evening?"

"Just fine, now that the shock's worn off. You should really give a better warning when you make your 'appearances', though" I told him.

Arceus chuckled and said

"Sorry, but I felt that I had to talk to you. It concerns the city you are searching for."

I nodded and replied

"Okay, what is it?"

Arceus sat by Drake and said

"Control of the city has changed. Don't worry, this won't hurt you, I just thought it would be good to let you know."

"So who's controlling it?" Rose asked.

"Right now the city is under the jurisdiction of Cresselia and Darkrai" Arceus informed them. When all he received were shocked looks, he asked

"What, didn't you know that large pokemon cities were placed under the protection of legends?"

We all shook our heads. Arceus sighed and began to explain.

"When humans became rampant and had forgotten their ancestry, they began to view pokemon as threats and potential pets. They weren't seen the way they are today. So humans would pillage pokemon civilizations and capture or kill pokemon. When they pokemon population started to decline, I knew something had to be done, and fast. So I had the majority of what was left of the pokemon to form their own civilizations and assigned at least one legend to protect them. In time, the pokemon developed civilizations. The town you are heading to is one of those ancient civilizations. Everyone in their town knows the name of the legend who is protecting them. I guess this wasn't the case for your society."

"Our society was corrupted anyway. It's not worth protecting, it really should be destroyed" I said.

Rose looked at me with some concern, but pulled back after a moment.

"Anyway," continued Arceus "Darkrai was protecting the town by himself, until recently, at any rate."

"Yeah, what exactly is the story on that?" asked Drake. Arceus smiled at him before answering.

"Well, recently Darkrai and Cresselia have decided to look past their differences and, I believe the humans call it, 'hook up'? Since then, they have become the mutual protectors of that town."

"But… isn't that a little…strange?" Rose asked timidly.

"What is strange, little one?"

"Well, the Prince of Nightmares… and the Princess of Dreams? Don't they just seem completely… I don't know, opposite?"

Grinning widely, Arceus replied

"Well, opposites do attract!"

Moving past this, Arceus said

"Most of the town is inhabited by pokemon who can transform to look human. However, there are a few real humans there, so don't let down your guard. Good luck on your journey, and have a safe trip!"

With that, Arceus disappeared. Drake sighed heavily then and said

"Guess we better sleep, we should reach the town by tomorrow."

Rose and I nodded, then we climbed together in our sleeping bag to enjoy the warmth.

Rose's POV

When the sun woke me the next morning, once again, Blade was missing.

"_He must be training his stealth too if he can just slip in and out with ease. Or maybe I'm just a heavy sleeper" _I thought.

We followed our usual routine, eating breakfast, packing up and getting on our way. I could barely contain my excitement, though. We could finally get a new home! We could get started on that family…

I blushed heavily when I caught myself thinking this. Still, despite the thought distracting me, a lot, I knew I wanted it to happen. And I was determined that when we were settled down we would get started.

Sometime around noon, the edge of the city came into our view. I couldn't help it, I started to run to the city. I didn't get very far, though, before I was winded. I was still excited, though. Blade caught up to me, kneeled to my level and asked

"Rose, are you alright? You just suddenly took off. I believe you're excited, but I can't really tell."

I looked at him, and my face split wide in a grin.

"Of course I'm happy! There's the city where we can start our new life together. We don't have to hide our love anymore, and-"

I looked behind me, and seeing that Drake was taking his time, enjoying the scenery, I decided to tell him of one of my greatest desires.

"- and we can start a family together, Blade."

He blinked at me in surprise, then he smiled warmly at me and said

"You really want to have children, huh."

It wasn't a question, properly, but I nodded anyway, blushing as I did so. He extended a hand and I took it. He lifted me up, then pulled me close and we shared a long passionate kiss. Then we stood there, our foreheads pressed together and he spoke softly but clearly to me.

"I will make you a promise, here and now. When we are comfortably settled in our new home, when our position is secure, then I promise we will start on our own little family. Okay?"

I nodded and came in for another kiss.

"Oh, get a room, you two" Drake teased us as he passed by. I blushed, but Blade took it in good humor.

"We should probably transform, given that the city is inhabited by real humans" he continued.

With that in mind, we transformed and continued on. When we finally reached the mouth of the city, we were greeted by two strangers that I kinda guessed were Cresselia and Darkrai. It was something about their attire, as well as their separate countenances that defined them.

The Prince of Nightmares was of medium stature, about the same height as Blade. For the most part, he wore all black. Black jacket, black shirt and pants, black shoes, but he had no gloves on, which surprised me. Maybe when he transformed back into a pokemon, the darkness spread over his hands. He was also wearing a strange necklace. It resembled a pearl necklace, but it looked more like scarlet Sharpedo teeth. He had long, white hair that he wasn't styling in any way, but it looked like there was a constant breeze ruffling his hair. His last feature was a blank face with piercing ice-blue eyes.

The Princess of Dreams looked completely opposite from Darkrai. Where he was centered around darkness and gloominess, she was the center of color and cheer. She had straight blonde hair that fell on both sides of her smiling face. She had pleasant lavender eyes that shone with a special kind of radiance. She wore a light jacket that she kept open of a soft blue color, underneath which she wore a yellow shirt that somehow complimented the jacket. She also wore purple gloves and lavender pants that varied in shade in different places. It was a mesmerizing effect, very attractive. When we approached, her eyes gleamed and she jumped forward to hug me.

"You must have been the newcomers Arcie told us about!" she exclaimed.

Darkrai rolled his eyes and said

"Welcome to Dream City. We were told to give you rooms in one of our hotels. If you want a house of your own, then you'll have to get a job and earn it." He caught the look that Cresselia directed at him, then shrugged and said

"That's just the way it is. If you don't like it, then you're free to leave."

Cresselia smacked Darkrai upside the head and shouted

"Stupid Darky, you ruined the moment!"

Darkrai sighed, then took her in his arms and said

"I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Lavender eyes stared into blue, and their hardness softened.

"Oh, Darky, I can't stay mad at you." And the two shared kiss that made me feel embarrassed to be looking at them.

"Ahem… this is a real tender moment, and I hate to break it up, but shouldn't we move along now?" asked Drake, and I was glad he interrupted them. When they broke apart, Cresselia was blushing heavily, and Darkrai had a look on his face that suggested he didn't care one way or another.

"All right, follow me" Darkrai sighed.

"So, what are your names?" Cresselia asked brightly.

"Cressie…" Darkrai began in exasperation.

"What, they're going to become citizens of this city, it's only right we should know their names, Darky."

Darkrai just sighed and continued leading the way. Cresselia turned to me and spoke to me telepathically.

"_He's so cute when he gets like that!" _and I could hear her giggling mentally, taking me by surprise. Taking a cue from her, I asked

"_How did you two end up… you know… together?"_

Giggling again, she answered

"_Well, when Darkrai was the sole ruler of this city, it was known as Nightmare City, on account of the fact that wherever he travels, nightmares invade those that sleep. He has some measure of control over it, but no Darkrai before him has found a way to end the nightmares fully. He can give you more details, if you can get him to talk. Anyway, the people and pokemon were terrified of this city. Arcie sent me to repair any damage done by Darky. At first we hated each other, thinking we were making each other's lives more difficult. In time, though, we grew to the point where we could look at each other, then talk. As time passed, love bloomed, and here we are today! When we came together as a pair and, we decided to rename this place Dream City. We have our own special apartment now, and it feels amazing to not have to sleep in loneliness anymore. Believe me, when you have a mate, everything changes for the better, as long as neither of you screws it up."_

Our mental conversation ended at that point, and I could sense the truth I her words. I remembered how I felt after Blade left the slums to confront his parents, like he had taken an important piece of me with him. Soon we reached a hotel that had a large neon sign atop that said The Utopian Dream.

"This is where you'll be staying" Darkrai said in a bored tone.

"It's also where we stay, on the top floor! So, if you have any questions, or just want to drop by and say hello, feel free to visit!" Cresselia shouted up to the sky, contradicting Darkrai's pessimistic mood.

Darkrai rolled his eyes again and walked through the door. Darkrai walked up to the counter and asked for three room keys.

"Oh, uh, Darky…" Cresselia muttered to him, then whispered into his ear. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but she motioned to Blade and I a couple of times. Darkrai scrutinized us for a moment, then shrugged and said

"Two keys for one room, middle floor, and one key same area."

The attendant, a Breloom, bowed and handed the keys to Darkrai, who turned and tossed the keys in Blade's direction, who caught them.

"Those are the keys to your rooms. Don't lose them."

Then he put his arm over Cresselia's shoulders and walked to the elevator, and that was the last we saw of them. Then Blade took a look at the keys and saw that two of them were identical. He was not quite sure what to make of it. He turned his glance to me, to which I said

"I think this is a gift from Cresselia. She means for us to sleep in the same room together."

Blade nodded thoughtfully, then handed Drake the key to his room. We took the elevator to our floor, the seventh floor, and located our rooms. Fortunately, we were only a couple of spaces apart so we could still talk relatively easily to each other. When Blade and I entered our room, we were taken back by its splendor. It was simple, yet elegant at the same time. More evidence of the strange pairing between Darkrai and Cresselia.

Night quickly came as we took the time to inspect the room and eat dinner in the splendid dining area on the ground floor. When we returned, I was a little anxious, and Blade caught on pretty quickly.

"What's wrong, Rose?"

"Well," I started "I'm just a little scared to sleep. You know, because Darkrai's here."

Smiling, Blade led me over to the bed and gently set me in. Then he told me

"You don't have to worry, because the Giver of Good Dreams is here as well. Now, sleep tight, and I'll see you in the morning."

I nodded, and could already feel myself drifting off to a dreamless slumber.

**Phew, finished! Sorry if I kind of rushed it with the journey and all, but there wasn't really anything that was going to happen anyway. So, let me know what you think, and wait for the next chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Rag Doll, Chapter 22**

**Alright, I'm drawing a blank on what to say here. So… just read and review please.**

Blade's POV

I rose early the next morning with Rose by my side. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. Smiling, I got out of the plush bed, careful not to wake her. It didn't take that much effort, as the bed seemed to absorb shock. Nevertheless, I crept my way to the bathroom. I knew that while we were in this hotel I wouldn't have much chance to train. It didn't matter that much, I was very strong now, but I vowed that when I had the availability to move us into a proper home I would get back on it.

In the bathroom I took care of my business and transformed. I had an agenda for today, and I would be damned if I didn't take the opportunity as soon as possible. I made sure I still had the room key in my pants pocket before I left the room, taking great care to silently close the door.

"Up a bit early, ain't ya?" a voice asked me, making me jump. I whirled around to face Drake.

"Relax, it's only me. So, what're you doin' up before even the birds are?" he asked me.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He chuckled, then responded

"I couldn't sleep very well last night. Kept reliving the events of my past. Curse that Prince."

I frowned and told him

"But the Giver of Good Dreams also resides here. I don't think it has anything to do with Darkrai."

He shrugged and stated

"Doesn't matter, anyway. I've never been much of a sleeper. It's a force of habit, trying to keep my home protected from thugs and burglars. Obviously I don't have to worry about it, or at least not to the degree I'm used to. But when you do something long enough, it just seeps into your bones and you can't give that part of yourself up. So, what are you doin'?"

"I'm going on a very long walk. I'm going to acquaint myself with the layout of the city today, then I'm looking for a job tomorrow."

"Jeez, startin' a bit early, don't ya think? Why not relax a little, it won't kill you."

I looked back to the door of the room I was using for the moment, then back to Drake and said

"Because I promised Rose that we could start a family together when we were well settled. I want her to be happy, and to delay that would bring great shame upon myself."

He had a look that expressed both amusement and exasperation.

"Look, I'm all for making your woman happy, but if you kill yourself trying to please her, she won't be lookin' on ya too favorably. You should take a small break. After the travelin' we've done, you deserve it. Take her for a night on the town, enjoy yourselves! You know I would be more than willing to help you out with this. I don't have a mate for myself. But I'll try here, in this new city. Here, the possibilities are endless! Maybe an old curmudgeon like me can find love."

I sighed, touched, bit determined.

"Listen, I appreciate all that you're saying, but we've relied on you enough. Now I want to be able to do things on my own. This is very important to me, it is a manner of my honor."

He scoffed and muttered

"Bah, you Gallades and your honor, it'll be the death of you all."

I smiled, then went on my way to the elevator, going to the ground floor. I left the hotel and took a deep breath of fresh, morning air. Then I walked on, trying to locate a map.

I traveled to the town square, expecting to start my search there. We passed by it yesterday when Darkrai and Cresselia had been leading us through the city, and I had a very good memory. I found it after about ten minutes, then located a map of the city. It seemed like a fair amount of the city was devoted to sightseeing, and I had a sneaking suspicion that these weren't here when Darkrai ran the city alone. Once I had a good idea of the layout of the city, I decided to work my legs out. I began jogging through the city. Some people stared at me in confusion, wondering why anyone would be exercising this early in the morning, but I didn't care.

The layout of the city wasn't as complex as I had first taken it to be. I managed to make my way through it by noon. I had been jogging on and off during that time, making sure to exercise my lower body. Then I decided that since it wasn't so early anymore I would pay a visit to Darkrai and get the ball rolling.

Rose's POV

When I woke up it was about nine-thirty. I was amazed I had been able to sleep so well, since this was the dwelling of Darkrai. As I expected, Blade wasn't in bed. I wondered if he could really do any training while we were here. Maybe not, but he still wouldn't take the luxury of sleeping in. I wish he would, I would love to be able to just snuggle with him without having the threat of falling asleep looming over me. Maybe I could convince him to do it, at least once. But what was I going to do during the day?

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed and stretching, I decided I would pay a visit to Cresselia. Maybe she could help me with my romantic problems. I prepared for the day and left the room, making sure I kept the room key with me. I started walking to the elevator, intending to get some breakfast first. But I heard Drake's voice behind me call out

"Good morning, Rose! What are you doing on this fine day?"

Giggling, I turned and said

"Good morning, Drake! I was planning to get some breakfast. Care to join me?"

Nodding, he said

"That would be a delight."

So we made our way to the ground floor and went to the dining area, where we had a delightful breakfast and a light conversation. After we finished eating, I told Drake my plans for the day, but he had plans of his own. So we said goodbye and I went to the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. When I arrived, it had a small amount of rooms compared to the lower floors. But at the end of the hall, I saw an elegant doorway. It looked so different from the rest, I figured that was where Cresselia and Darkrai were staying. I went up and knocked on the door, and I wasn't even waiting for five seconds before I heard footsteps rush up and the door was flung open, whereupon I saw the slightly confused face of Cresselia before it lit up and I was pulled into a crushing embrace.

"Rose! It's so good to see you again! I know we saw each other only yesterday, but we didn't get to know each other that well, and I was hoping you would come and visit but I didn't know whether you would or not-"

She kept going on like this for about a minute, keeping me in her surprisingly strong arms. I was starting to see spots before my eyes when I heard Darkrai's voice cut through her ramblings.

"Cressie, if you don't let go of the poor girl, you're going to kill her. And I don't think her mate will be too happy with you if that happened."

Cresselia took one look at my purpling face, then yelped and quickly let go of me, apologizing heavily.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I don't know my own strength, and I was just talking so much, and I get so excited that I don't watch what I'm doing, and-" she was cut off again by Darkrai.

"You know, if you don't stop to breathe, neither will she."

I looked over to where his voice came from and saw Darkrai, in his human form, working at a desk sorting through a massive stack of papers. It looked like he was well practiced at it.

"You look busy" I observed.

"He's always busy!" Cresselia shouted out before Darkrai could respond.

"He needs to learn how to relax and have fun for once!"

Darkrai rolled his eyes and said

"If I don't do this, no one will."

Rolling _her _eyes, Cresselia looked back at me and asked

"So, what brings you to our humble apartment?"

Darkrai scoffed at the idea that their apartment was humble, but said nothing.

"Well," I began "Blade has been gone for I don't know how long, and I don't have anything to do. I was hoping we could… maybe… hang out, or something?"

Cresselia took off suddenly and swiped something off the desk where Darkrai was working. Darkrai looked for a second where she had grabbed the mysterious object, then shook his head and told her

"Don't max it out this time. It took me forever to straighten the last business out."

Cresselia turned and blew a kiss at him, which made him smile a little, and she shouted

"Promise!"

Then she grabbed my hand and almost dislocated my shoulder tugging me to the elevator. Before I knew it, we were outside, her running around and me almost resembling a flag in a strong wind.

Blade's POV

I had reached the Utopian Dream and walked to the elevator. As I pushed the button, I wondered what Rose had decided to do with her time. I could only speculate, but I didn't have the time to do that. I reached the top floor and immediately saw the one door that was different from all the others. I headed straight for it and knocked politely.

I heard a disjointed sigh of resignation, then the rustle of papers and the scraping of a chair on the floor. After several footsteps, the door opened, revealing Darkrai in his human form. He blinked in what seemed to be mild surprise, then scrutinized me closely before saying

"Blade, right?"

"Yeah" I responded.

"Well, if you're looking for Cresselia, you missed her by an hour. She ran out of here with your mate and my credit card when Rose asked if they could hang out together. I swear, that girl has more energy than a Vigoroth."

Chuckling, I now knew the answer to my earlier question. Then I looked at Darkrai and said

"Actually, I came here to talk to you. Can I come in?"

He stepped back and opened the door a little more, then said

"I hope this won't be a waste of my time. I still have a lot of paperwork to take care of, and I suspect that Cresselia's going to give me a major headache with her splurging."

"I'll try and keep it brief" I said.

Darkrai went back to his desk which had a sizable amount of papers on it. He pushed these aside, clearing a space I the middle of the desk, then motioning for me to take the seat on the other side of his. I took the chair and faced him, whereupon he asked

"So, what do you need?"

"I'm looking for a job. All the managers I talked to referred me to you."

He nodded and said

"That's how it works here. I interview you and figure out what lines of work you would be best in. Then I check the database to find some openings. If there aren't any, you come back the next day and try again."

Frowning, I said

"That seems like a strange system."

Darkrai shrugged, then replied

"It's effective, though. Of all the people I've placed in their jobs, none have been disappointed with their line of work. Hopefully we can find you something that'll work for your talents."

With that, he opened a small drawer on his side of the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. Then he put on reading glasses that had been set on the desk. Curious, I asked

"You need reading glasses?"

He chuckled, then said

"You'd be amazed how well these eyes can see dreams but not fine print."

We both had a good laugh over that one, and he set the glasses on his face and started reading the paper. He looked at me very quickly and began to write a few things down. Then he met my eyes and asked

"Okay, where would you like to see yourself working?"

I answered after thinking for a second.

"Somewhere I can make a difference in other people's lives, especially to protect them and help those in need."

He nodded and wrote something down on the paper. Then he looked up and asked

"How well do you get along with people on a scale from 1 to 10?"

The next hour continued in this manner, him asking questions and recording my answers. When we finished, he turned his chair to a computer behind him, opened something up, then began typing very quickly, occasionally glancing at the paper he set down next to the keyboard. After five minutes, he clicked on something with the mouse, then sat back and told me

"Now we wait for your information to be processed and see the results."

After half a minute, the computer made a dinging noise, and Darkrai looked at the screen for a second. Then he turned to me and said

"Well, the police department is looking for new recruits. Interested?"

"This city has a police department?" I asked.

"Of course. You didn't think I handled every problem that came up, did you? No, I'm only called out if the situation becomes a matter of life or death, and it's beyond the power of the force."

I thought for a moment, then asked

"What are the wages?"

He smiled now, obviously liking my asking pertinent questions.

"Well, if you pass the exam and make it through the academy, you'll start off as a rookie. They make about ten to fifteen dollars an hour. As you rise up through the ranks, your pay will increase, depending on your rank. Further, you can apply for overtime, and most often there is hazard pay. We get our fair share of problems out here."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"You would normally learn this at the academy, but since you're new, I'll let you in on something."

I listened intently.

"Our police force is the only evidence of actual pokemon in their original forms. We don't use guns, except for the occasional Taser, so we allow them to remain pokemon so they can unleash their moves at full potential in order to stop a crime, or repel an attacker, or something along those lines. The officers are given a badge to assert their authority and prevent their capture by trainers. If a trainer tries to capture an officer, the badge is designed to disrupt the pokeball so it doesn't work. Any trainer found guilty of attempting to capture an officer is faced with either a fine or a prison term, or both depending on the severity."

I was really interested now.

"So, what about the mates of police officers? Do they get some kind of protection from trainers as well?"

"You can set up protection if you wish. We have a range of items that can disrupt a pokeball's ability to capture your mate. They are expensive, but they are very effective. So, are you interested?"

I nodded my head. Darkrai smiled and filled out some forms, then stamped something and put the forms in an envelope. Then he said

"Go to the main station, about five minutes from the main plaza, and hand this to the officer at post. When you get in the building, you should transform back into a pokemon. We don't allow humans on the force."

I nodded again, then stood and shook his hand, thanking him for his time. I left his apartment and went to the elevator, excited to get started.

**Alright, I liked writing out this chapter. But to be honest, I love writing the scenes between Darkrai and Cresselia. It's so easy for me to predict what's going to happen, then try to exaggerate it to make it funnier. Let me know what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Rag Doll, Chapter 23**

**Okay, things are picking up for Blade, but what happened to poor Rose? **

Rose's POV

Once Cresselia began to lose her energy dragging me around, I insisted on walking myself. At first she was against it, because she said

"But you'll never be able to keep up with me! How am I supposed to show you the wonders of the city?"

I laughed hard at this, and when I managed to get ahold of myself, I told her

"It's not my last day on earth; we can take the time to sight-see. Besides, you said yourself that Darkrai needs to cut back. But are you providing the best example by running around and wasting your energy, not even taking time to see the sights?"

She slumped on a nearby bench, then sighed and said

"I know you're right, but I'm so used to trying to get Darky out and about; if I don't take him everywhere at once, he'll never do anything but work."

"Doesn't he even have any recreational time for himself?" I asked, sitting next to her.

She shook her head and averted her gaze.

"No, and that's the problem. He's always saying there's work to be done, and if he doesn't do it then no one will. I've tried to help him, but he always finds more work to take care of, even if it's the simplest of things."

I thought for a moment, curious, then asked her

"Why is he such a workaholic?"

Cresselia turned to me, despair in her eyes, and she cried out

"I don't know! He never tells me anything, and my powers to read minds don't work as well against dark-types! Besides, he found a way to block me out completely years ago, when we were still rivals. I had hoped he would relent a little, let me in, but he doesn't confide in anybody. He never has. I worry about him, because I know if he keeps on like this, he'll work himself to death."

She sniffed and wiped some tears from her eyes, and I put my arm around her, inviting her to a comforting hug, which she accepted.

"_The irony," _I thought _"Me, comforting a legend."_

When Cresselia was finished, she slowly got up and said

"Thank you Rose. I know I must be a poor excuse for a legend. But even we have feelings. Darky just likes to pretend he doesn't have any."

I patted her on the shoulder and said

"It's okay; we all have our bad times. But we have to move through them in order to get it over with."

Cresselia nodded and wiped away the last of her tears. Then she regained her usual pep as she said

"Okay, how about I take you over to the main plaza? They've got a great variety of shops!"

Then she grabbed my hand and we were back to how it started.

Blade's POV

I was in the main plaza, looking over the map to make sure I knew where I was going, but as I turned to walk down the right street, I saw a colorful blur zoom right past me, and I swear to Arceus I heard

"-oh my Arceus, wait until you see the selection they have at the-"and it cut off there. I shook my head, bewildered. Then I shrugged and continued on my way to the main station. I was a bit apprehensive about doing this. I definitely liked the idea of being on the force, but first I had to pass. And knowing Darkrai and how he was likely to run the town, the exams wouldn't be easy. Still, I was determined to do this.

I found the station, which had a sign on top that said Dream City Precinct. I took a deep breath, transformed, then entered the building. At the post was a Hariyama who was indulging from a box of doughnuts.

"_I don't like sweet things. I hope I don't get a doughnut fixation" _I thought.

"Hello, welcome to the precinct" the Hariyama said, his mouth still slightly full "How can I help you?"

I walked up to the desk and handed him the envelope. He took it, pulled out the papers, then looked them over for a minute. Then he looked at me and said

"Okay, if you'll just sit over there for a few minutes, I'm gonna run this by the chief, and he'll meet you in his office. Okay?"

"Okay, thank you."

The Hariyama dipped his head, then went to the back to talk to the chief. Meanwhile I sat in one of the chairs that were provided for patrons who were waiting. After about five minutes, the door opened and the Hariyama stepped out and returned to his post. He motioned with his thumb and said

"Just go down to the end of the hall, the Chief's waitin' for ya."

"Thank you again."

The Hariyama dipped his head, then his hand reached for another doughnut. I shook my head as I went through the door. I could see a small hallway that had a few doors along it. At the end of the hall was a door that had a plaque on it that read "Chief Kane". I knocked on the door, and a moment later a gruff voice said

"Come in."

I opened the door and stepped inside. I saw an Arcanine sitting at a desk, sorting through some files, presumably mine. Then he looked up at me and said

"Ah, so you're the aspiring recruit, huh?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, have a seat, it seems like we have a few things to talk about."

I took the chair opposite him like I had with Darkrai. But he was looking at my file still. Then he looked up at me and asked

"So, says here you want to help people?"

I nodded and stated

"As much as I can."

"Are you sure you're willing to join the force? It is a dangerous job, you know."

I nodded again and said

"I'm no stranger to danger. Perhaps not as much as you experience, but I'm not soft, either."

The chief Arcanine nodded and said

"Good answer, kid. But it's going to take more than pretty words to get in."

"What do I have to do?" I asked

"First there's an exam to pass, then you gotta get checked, physically and mentally. If you pass both these things, then you gotta go through the academy. Only then can you become a rookie, then work your way up through the ranks. Are you willing to put yourself through that kind of strain?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. Study these." He put a few books on his desk, mostly small, but there was a fairly big one among them.

"These are the basics to being a member of the force, then the advanced rules. Then you have to know the rules of the city. The next exam isn't for another-"

He looked up at the calendar that hung behind his desk and said

"three months, which should give you plenty of time to prepare. I suggest you get started as soon as you get back to wherever you're staying. And don't lollygag, I've seen a lot of good men go down that way. However, you also shouldn't strain yourself. If you need a break, then take one."

He hesitated for a moment, then asked softly

"Kid, do you got a mate?"

I raised my eyebrow, but tried to be respectful.

"May I ask why you're interested?"

The Chief hesitated again, then said

"Let me give you some advice if you do, from personal experience. Make sure you take care of her; don't neglect her while you're studying. In fact, you could even get her help you with your studying."

"Why would you say this?" I asked suspiciously.

He sighed, then replied

"When I joined the force, I was so adamant about studying that I completely neglected my fiancée. She left me before I took the test. I was so busy studying that I didn't even know until after I got home and found her week-old note of farewell with her ring on it. I never was the same after that. Sorry if I sound all mushy, I just don't want anyone else to go through what I did."

I stood up, collected the books and bowed to him. Then I said

"I promise I won't forget your words, and I promise that I will do all in my power to memorize everything in these books."

A smile broke over his face.

"Good. As long as you keep your word, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to pass. Good luck, kid."

Smiling, I held out my hand, keeping a firm hold on the books.

"My name's Blade."

The Chief looked surprised, then took my hand in his large shaggy paw and replied

"I'm John. Nice to meet ya."

I nodded to him, then left his office and headed back down the hallway. Before I left the building, I transformed back into a human to stay on the safe side, then made my way back to the hotel, eager to tell Rose about my day.

Rose's POV

Cresselia and I were loaded down with bags. It was, as Cresselia called it

"A successful day of shopping!"

I was a little uneasy, though, and Cresselia picked up on it quickly.

"What's wrong Rose? You seem a bit worried."

I hesitated for a moment, then asked

"Well, won't Darkrai be mad that we spent all of this money?"

Cresselia started laughing, but she paused long enough to say

"Oh, don't worry about Darky. He'll grumble about it for a few days, but he'll get over it. Besides, it's kinda become a habit with us; he fills the card, then I empty it."

And she went back to her laughing, but this time I joined in. I have to admit, I feel like I found a good friend in Cresselia. She even insisted that I use the pet name for her, Cressie, and she would call me Rosie. It felt a bit strange. I realized that even though my old friends were no longer in contact with me, I wasn't alone. I had Drake, Cressie, and Blade. I think Darkrai is in there too, but he's still a bit too distant.

When we got back to the hotel, we stopped by mine and Blade's room to drop off the stuff that Cressie had bought for me. When I got back out, she was waiting for me patiently. We went to the elevator and I pressed th button for the top floor. When we reached the door, Cressie gave me her key to open it, but that became unnecessary. The door was opened by a cool and stony Darkrai, who leaned against the doorframe and looked at the packages in Cresselia's arms.

"Hi, Darky!" Cressie said brightly.

Still glowering, which made me tremble, he said

"So, I'm missing about one thousand dollars on my card. I hope you used it for a good cause."

Not faltering, Cressie stepped inside and kissed Darkrai on the cheek and said

"Of course it went for a good cause, Darky! It went into making your beautiful partner look fabulous!"

She winked at me and I giggled. Darkrai just closed the door and began mumbling to himself about money and women. We dropped Cressie's new things into her room and went back out to the living room.

"Can I offer you tea, Rosie?"

"Sure thing, Cressie!"

This sent us both back into a fit of giggling while Darkrai sat at his desk, shaking his head slowly.

Once Cressie had the tea ready, she also whipped out a plate of fresh cookies. When we were seated, she called over to Darkrai.

"Darky, why don't you join us for tea? It's good for the soul, and you look like you need a break."

He mumbled something that wasn't clearly discernible and continued with his work. Cressie looked over at me and gave me a meaningful glance. I understood what she wanted right away, and we both walked up and grabbed Darkrai and dragged him over to the table, kicking and yelling the whole time

"Hey, knock it off! I'll give you both nightmares so bad you won't be waking up for weeks! Let me go, dammit!"

Finally we managed to throw him into a chair, and when he tried to get up, we slammed him back down.

"Arceus dammit, I have work to do!"

"No, you don't" Cressie said threateningly.

"You're going to sit there and behave like a gentleman and not offend our guest. Understand?"

He continued to grumble, but was met in the face by Cressie's ominously glowing eyes.

"Understand?" she repeated in a darker tone.

Darkrai glared at her for a few minutes, their eyes never leaving each other. Finally, Darkrai relented and said

"Fine, whatever."

"Good!" Cressie cheered.

Cressie took her place at the table and began to pour the tea and pass around the cookies.

"One or two?" she asked me.

"Two, please."

"Darky?"

"None."

Cressie put the sugar bowl down sadly, then took a couple of cookies from the tray.

"So, how did you and Blade meet?" Cressie asked me.

I began to tell her and Darkrai the story of where we grew up, what my life had been like, and all the events that led up to our being here. I drank my tea as I needed to parch my throat, which was constantly drying up with all my talking. Cressie was sipping her tea, but Darkrai was just tossing it down. When I finished, Cressie said

"That's a very touching story, Rosie. Isn't it Darky?"

"Yeah, a real sob fest" he responded, throwing the last of his tea down his throat, looking as though he would rather be anywhere but here. Cressie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. I decided to change the subject.

"These are very good cookies, Cressie."

She brightened up at the compliment and said

"Thank you! I can give you the recipe if you want it."

"That would be great, thanks."

"No problem."

Darkrai put his hands against the table, bracing himself, as he asked

"Can I leave now? There's the matter of a credit card bill that I have to attend to."

Cressie sighed again and said he could go. Without another word, Darkrai went to his computer, a scowl coming across his face. Cressie looked over to me and said

"It's like he thinks that being social will kill him. I just don't know what to do."

I reached over and patted her hand, saying

"Maybe he just needs a bit more coaxing. After all, how long was he a loner before you became a big part of his life? Give it time, Cressie, things will pick up, you'll see."

She stared at Darkrai for another moment, then said in a subdued voice

"I hope you're right Rose."

**Wow, poor Cressie! I think Darkrai needs to be taught a lesson or two, huh? Funny that I say this, I'm the author, after all. Tell me what you guys think about my Cresselia/Darkrai pairing. I happen to love it! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Rag Doll, Chapter 24**

**Ho-hum. This story just keeps goin' on, don't it? Lol.**

Blade's POV

As I got back to the hotel with my load of books in hand, I wondered how Rose's day with Cresselia went. I made it back to the room, where I saw a pile of bags from various shops. Then I began to wonder about that blur I saw in the main plaza. I put my books down, then went to the elevator and hit the top floor button. I knocked on Darkrai's door. Then I heard a request, faintly sounding female. Then there was Darkrai giving a grunt of frustration. Then the door opened and Darkrai let me in. I guessed that Cresselia could tell that it was me at the door.

Rose ran up and threw herself into my arms, and I spun in place holding on to her. When I stopped, I smiled at her and we kissed for a few seconds. Then Cresselia tapped me on the arm and said

"Sorry, don't mean to ruin your moment, but there's tea and cookies I the kitchen if you're interested."

In response my stomach gave a growl of complaint. Cresselia and Rose laughed at me for a second, then Cresselia led us to the kitchen while Rose hung on to my arm. I was greeted by the smell of herbal tea and a fresh platter of cookies. Rose and Cresselia already had cups of their own, and Cresselia brought out another cup for me. After she poured me some tea, she asked

"One or two?"

I smiled and said

"One, please."

Then Rose and Cresselia resumed whatever conversation they were having before my arrival. When they paused to take a drink I used this time to ask

"So, I assume you girls had a fun day today?"

"I had a great time today!" Cresselia said.

"It was pretty good for me, too, except when Cressie tried to take my arm off a few times."

Rose and Cresselia laughed a bit over that, then I decided to find out if my suspicions were correct.

"You know, I saw something interesting today at the main plaza, and I wonder if you two could confirm or deny it."

"What do you mean?" asked Darkrai, who seemed to be listening to me. Cresselia gave a soft gasp, but quickly hid it. Ignoring it, I said

"Well, I was looking on the map for the main station, but just as I was going to walk down the street, a colorful blur zipped right past me. I felt the wind for a few seconds. But it was what that blur said that caught my attention."

"And what exactly did it say?" Darkrai asked me.

"Well, I swear I could hear the blur shouting something about 'having to see the selections' of something."

Darkrai burst out laughing, covering his eyes with his hand as the mirth filled the room. I glanced over and saw Rose blushing, which I expected, but when I turned my attention to Cresselia, I was taken aback. She had a film of tears in her eyes as she stared at Darkrai, but they seemed more like tears of happiness than depression. When Darkrai's laughing fit subsided, he turned his attention back to the computer, looking to be in a better mood than before. It was about five when Rose and I decided to excuse ourselves. Darkrai and Cresselia both saw us out, and Cresselia called to Rose that she would see her tomorrow.

When we got back to our room, Rose began to sort through all the purchases made by Cresselia for her. I was just resting on the bed after the day I had, when I heard Rose pick up the books that I had received from John. She carried them over, looking over them curiously.

"What are these?" she asked me.

"Those are the basics and advances for being an officer of the law. Then we have the city rules."

She still looked at me in confusion, not quite getting it.

"I'm joining the force, becoming a police officer."

For a moment, a look of understanding passed over Rose's face, but it was quickly replaced with worry.

"But isn't that a dangerous job?"

"No more than being a construction worker or a mechanic. Every job has its risks, Rose. Darkrai just helped me find the best job for me."

"Darkrai helped you?" she asked suspiciously.

I explained how the work system was organized.

"Oh, I see…" she muttered. Then she put the books down and joined me on the bed, where she asked me

"When you're on the job, do you promise to be careful?"

"Of course, Rose. How could I keep my promise to you if I wasn't around?"

We shared a passionate kiss then, and I picked up the basics for being a cop and began to study.

**A/N: Okay, guys, what's going to happen is I'm going to skip the storyline ahead by several months. I tried to find the steps to becoming an officer, but all I really got were schools. Not quite the information I had in mind. I did manage to find enough to know there's a test to take, the academy to pass, (though I don't know the specifics behind that) and that there's a physical to pass. So for the story's sake, Blade passed the test with the highest score in his class, he breezed the physical, and he covered the academy with flying colors. Now we're going to start up a few days before his inauguration (or whatever the hell it is for cops). During this time, Blade and Darkrai have struck up a cordial friendship, but a strong one. Meanwhile, Rose and Cresselia have grown into BFFs.**

Rose's POV

Blade was very happy. As well he should be. After all, he did pass all of the preliminary stages. Now all that's left is the inauguration, but that ceremony is a few days away.

**A/N: Sorry, me again. I really don't like this bit, I don't think this part's gonna turn out well. Please, please bear with me. I'll try to move it along without really screwing up. For those of you who have the patience to put up with this, you are saints and have the blessings of Arceus himself.**

We were planning on celebrating tonight, going to a restaurant that Cressie recommended. Even Darkrai was loosening up enough to join us. Over the past few months, he and Blade really started to hit it off. Their relationship wasn't like the one that Cressie and I had, but hey, a friendship is a friendship.

Tonight we're going to eat at Dream City Cuisine **(sorry, I'm really no good at coming up with names). **We all got prepared and left to catch our reservations for seven. This was actually going to be a special night; this was a fancy restaurant that offered meals and dancing. Blade and I had never been the best of dancers. He was taught because he was high-class and it was expected of him. I barely knew how to dance, but the people of the slums had their own special dances. Probably not the best thing to use considering where we're going, but at least I shouldn't trip over my feet. I've already decided to let Blade lead.

We arrived at six-fifty-five and went inside. Darkrai had changed his usual attire to a suit, an actual suit. Cresselia donned one of the elegant dresses she had bought the first day we hung out, and the same was true for me. She wore a flowing gold and purple dress, still trying to reflect her colors. I wore something along the lines of my dress as a human, but a little more suited to the atmosphere. Blade also wore a dark suit like Darkrai.

Darkrai walked up to the man behind the podium and said

"Table for four, under Mr. Dark."

The man looked for a moment at his book of reservations.

"Ah, yes, here we are, four and a dance, correct?"

Darkrai nodded. Then the waiter led us to our table, which was next to a window that gave an excellent view of the nighttime city. We all had an excellent dinner, but what I really looked forward to was the dancing. I wanted a slow song, though, since I was so inexperienced with actual dancing. There were quite a few good numbers that went by, but none of them really caught my attention. But then, it was there, and I could tell that this was our song. I grabbed Blade and pulled him out to the dance floor.

He put his left hand in my right and his right hand on my hip. I had my left hand on his shoulder, and we swayed to the music as it perfectly described us. This would be a night I would never forget.

**Okay, please, please, please forgive me! :{ This chapter sucked so badly, but I can't improve on it, I tried, I tried so hard! To make it up to you (or at least try to) the song is Sonny and Cher's I Got You Babe. Youtube it and look for a black back ground with blue-purple lyrics. It really is a beautiful song; I just wish I could make this chapter better for you all. Please bear with me, the next chapter should be much better, but unfortunately this chapter is necessary to the story, if only the piece where I explain the skip in time. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Rag Doll, Chapter 25**

**Okay, here it is, the chapter where I beg your forgiveness for that crappy last chapter. There is another brief time skip because I just can't figure those cops out! Anyway, for sanity's sake, Blade is now a full-fledged rookie in the force. He gets a belt where his badge goes, which protects him from being caught by trainers.**

Blade's POV

It finally happened. I was in and able to make a difference for the lives of the citizens of this city. Of course I hadn't done anything yet, since I just started. But I felt good nonetheless. The Chief led me down the hall that led to his office, but he stopped in front of a different door. The plaque on it read Sergeant Ramirez. The Chief stuck his head into the partially opened door and said

"Stan, can you come out here for a second?"

"Sure" a smooth voice answered.

The Chief stepped back, the door opened fully and out stepped a Lucario. He was wearing a hat that suggested his rank, and the badge was pinned to the fur on his chest.

"Stan, this is your new partner, Blade. He just came in fresh from the ceremony."

"Oh yeah?" asked Stan, looking me over. I stood up straight, not wanting to make a bad impression. The Lucario chuckled and said

"Relax, this isn't the army. So, you're new, huh?"

I nodded, and the Chief said

"Well, I'll just leave you two to get acquainted. Play nice now. By the way, Stan, you're on patrol at noon, take him with you."

"You got it, chief."

The Arcanine turned and went to his office. Stan motioned for me to join him in his, and I stepped through the door after him. His office was large enough for two people to fit in fairly comfortably. He sat in his chair in front of a computer, and then motioned to another chair by an empty desk on the other side. I took the chair and faced my new partner.

"So, fresh from the academy and such, huh?" he asked me.

"Yep" I replied "Sworn in two days ago."

"Well, welcome to the force. My name's Stan Ramirez. What do you go by?"

He leaned forward and extended his hand, which I took firmly and shook. Then I responded

"I just go by Blade. I didn't know last names were common around here."

"Well, when you live in a city that's got human inhabitants, a last name is kind of important to avoid suspicion. Otherwise things can get a little messy. So, you know the city yet?"

I nodded and replied

"Yeah, I studied the layout the day after I arrived, and I have a good memory. Call me paranoid, but I prefer to know where I'm running if it comes to the worst."

"That's good," Stan said to me. "When you have to chase a criminal, chances are they've studied their escape route. We do get some idiots, but there are actually quite a few cunning ones around here. I don't expect anything to go wrong on your first day, but just be prepared for anything. This city is full of surprises."

"Yeah, I know. One of the most surprising things I've found so far is Cresselia's energy compared to Darkrai's lack of it. They make an odd but cute couple."

Stan's eyes widened at the information.

"You know Darkrai?" he asked incredulously.

Chuckling, I told him

"I don't just know him, I'm friends with him. Why, is there something wrong with that?"

Shaking his head furiously, Stan replied hastily

"No, no, there's nothing wrong, it's just amazing that you were able to befriend him, that's all. He's notorious for being rude and antisocial, although I think we can agree that no one will take Mewtwo's title for rudeness and hostility. "

We both had a good laugh over that, and Stan looked over his shoulder to check the time.

"Hmm, eleven. Say newbie, you wanna get some lunch before we start patrol?"

"Sure, that sounds good. You know any good places?"

"Oh, there's this sandwich shop by the main plaza that has the best berry sandwiches you'll find in this city. And they've got everything from oran, sitrus, chesto, cheri, you name it!"

Soon we were on our way. It was a strange feeling not having to transform before going outside. Stan and I caught stares wherever we went, but we were never bothered. When we reached the sandwich joint, I let out a sigh of relief. Stan caught this and asked

"What's wrong?"

I drew a shaky breath and responded

"I was just so sure I was going to be sucked into a little ball at any second."

Stan laughed and told me

"Give it time, you'll adjust. For now I suggest you find the berry sandwich to suit your tastes. They have all sorts here."

I looked over the menu I was handed after we were given our table. Our waitress was a somewhat chubby girl who wore mostly pink but had a pleasant face and a black hat. I figured she was a Miltank, and when she returned I ordered a sitrus berry sandwich. I had always loved sour tastes, so I thought that would be the best choice for me. Stan ordered a mago berry sandwich. Seemed he had a real sweet tooth.

While we waited, we started talking about our home lives. It turned out that Stan had left his colony too, but not because he was forced out. He left simply because he wanted to see the world, but wasn't content with the idea of settling back down in his original colony. He continued to wander around until eventually he found this city. What was funny was as he was entering, someone had run by carrying something small. He had heard a storeowner shouting

"Stop! Thief!"

Then Stan had pursued the character and took him down with an Aura Sphere. The culprit later turned out to be a notorious Weavile who had sticky fingers. The Weavile was sent to prison and Stan was offered the chance to join the force, which he accepted. Since then, he hasn't looked back. Recently he found himself a girlfriend, a Lopunny, who he hit off quite well with. In fact, he was having dinner with her tonight after his shift. When our sandwiches arrived, he asked me if I had anyone special in my life.

Chuckling, I said

"Yep."

Then I went on to explain where I was from and what I had done with part of my life. I told him the story of how we met and how we eventually wound up together. He listened quietly the entire time, and when I was finished he said

"So, do you two have any plans for the future?"

Finishing my sandwich, I replied

"Well, when I get up the money, I'm going to officially marry her. We plan to buy a house, and when we're settled we're going to start our own little family."

Stan smiled warmly, then slapped my shoulder and said

"Well, I wish the best of luck to you. But for now, we gotta go do our job."

With that, he set some bills on the table, leaving a hefty tip, then we walked out still in good spirits. I could tell this would be a friendship that would last for a long time.

Rose's POV

I was out seeing the city with Cresselia. She told me she wanted to show me a special place in the park that I hadn't seen yet. I was eager to find what she wanted to show me.

When we arrived, the park looked as beautiful as the day Cresselia had first showed me. It was a marvelous place, filled with lush green grass, tall trees, and in the middle an ornate fountain happily threw water into the air. Cressie led me to a part in the forested area that had escaped my attention the first time. She walked through apparently solid trees. I was stunned, looking for her where she just disappeared from my sight. Timidly, I stuck my hand to the area I last saw her in. My hand passed through the trees with the sensation of a soft current of wind flowing up. I pulled my hand back quickly, afraid. When I experienced nothing else, I put my hand back through. Feeling nothing other than the current of wind, I pulled my hand back and attempted to keep my dress down as I walked through.

The insubstantial barrier felt like a nice breeze, but my dress was in no danger of billowing around me. Emboldened by this, I slowly took my hands away. When nothing happened, I continued on. When I reached the other side of the barrier, I could see a beautiful meadow. I gasped, then inhaled softly as the scent of the flowers consumed me.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Cressie asked me.

I whirled around to find her watching me, close to where the barrier had ended.

"It's gorgeous!" I replied.

"How long has this been here?"

Cressie laughed and told me

"It's been here since Darkrai ruled the city alone. In fact, this was the place where we met up often to battle. It was sort of an agreement we had; we would battle to see which would prevail for the night, nightmares or dreams. Most often he won, but I did my best to end the nightmares anyway. One night, we were battling. He had hit me with a well-aimed Dark Pulse, and he loomed over me as I began to cry, angry that I couldn't do a better job to help his terrified victims."

I watched her silently. Then she did something she had done once before. She took hold of my mind, gently, and thought back to the events of that night. It was a special thing that we psychics can do; we can show anybody the events of our past, though the picture is a little clearer when you do this with another psychic. I watched in fascination as the events unfolded in front of me.

Darkrai looked bored as he watched Cresselia get up from his latest attack. Cresselia stumbled in the air (which is difficult to imagine, I know, but trust me on this) and he said

"Why do you do this to yourself? You know you're at the disadvantage."

She glared at him and spat back

"Because I care about the people and pokemon you're terrifying! You probably don't know the first thing about compassion!"

I looked over at present-day Cressie and asked her

"You really said that to him?"

She nodded sadly and said

"Yes, but if I hadn't then this wouldn't have happened. Look."

As I turned my attention back to the events, which Cressie had paused for me so I didn't miss anything, (I know, we psychics can do a lot, huh?) I could see that a flash of hurt had passed over Darkrai's eyes before it flitted away to be replaced by boredom again.

"Feh, what do you know?"

Past-Cresselia looked intently at Darkrai, having spotted the emotion pass.

"What was that?" she asked, approaching him.

"What are you babbling about now?" Darkrai asked brusquely, backing up slightly.

"I saw something in your eyes, something else…" Cresselia muttered, getting closer and closer.

"You better back off before I send you flying" Darkrai threatened, charging another dark Pulse.

Cresselia stopped before him, still looking hard into his piercing blue eyes.

"Did you… just show emotion to my words?"

Darkrai blushed now, and flustered

"Don't be ridiculous! I have no emotion…"

Cresselia floated ever closer to him and grabbed his wrist, making him lose the Dark Pulse, then kissed him on the cheek, much as the same I did to Blade. Darkrai backtracked a few steps and said

"What the hell was that?!"

Cresselia was watching closely again. Darkrai quickly threw a Shadow Ball in her direction, but it missed. She didn't even have to move. Darkrai's eyes widened, and he turned and cursed. Cresselia came up behind him and noticed that he was shaking. She turned him around and was astonished to see tears in his eyes. When Darkrai spotted this, he flew away into the night, leaving Cresselia confused.

"I didn't know what to think or believe after that battle" present-day Cressie told me.

"For the next week, Darky refused to come out. I gave the city extra-good dreams the entire time, hoping to lure him out. Finally, on the eighth night he challenged me. I accepted and told myself that I wasn't going to fight at all. I wanted to see more of him, and I figured I could get closer if I wasn't trying to hurt him."

The scene shifted, but it was still night. Darkrai and Cresselia appeared from opposing ends of the forest. Darkrai wasted no time in getting started, throwing a Shadow Ball directly into Cressie' s face. She didn't attempt to dodge or retaliate, however. She took the attack head-on, or face-on in this case, and she fell with a strangled cry. Darkrai's eyes widened at this sight, but quickly fell back into his usual bored scowl.

He hurled a Dark Pulse at her, but not directly. He was aiming for the ground in front of her. She closed her eyes as the ground in front of her exploded, sending her flying back several feet. Present-day Cressie winced as she remembered the pain. Darkrai floated over to her position and looked at her, then shouted

"Why?! Why aren't you even defending yourself?!"

Cresselia weakly looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Because I just want to talk to you. That's not a problem is it?"

Darkrai just scowled even harder, if that was possible, then shouted

"Of course it's a problem! This is a battle! I thought you came here knowing that, but it appears that I've overestimated you."

Cresselia's eyes never left Darkrai as he turned to leave. Suddenly she called out to him

"You're angry with me, aren't you?"

He turned and shouted again.

"Of course I am! First you taunt me by giving good dreams to _my _city, then you accept my challenge, and now you won't even fight back! I can't believe you would mock me like that. I thought better of you."

Cresselia thought for a moment, then smiled at Darkrai and said

"So, what I'm hearing is anger, disbelief, and betrayal."

"What are you getting at?" Darkrai asked her suspiciously.

"You have feelings after all, Darkrai. You just showed me three right now."

His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. His hands clenched into fists while he thought about what Cresselia just told him.

"What's it to you?"

As she rose shakily from the ground, she said

"I don't know why you lied to me and said you don't have emotions. I want to find out, though. I accepted your challenge with the intent of talking to you, not fighting you."

Darkrai turned away and said

"I have nothing to say to you."

She floated over to him and said

"On the contrary, I think you have a lot to say, you just don't know how to say it. But I'm willing to listen. Please, talk to me Darkrai."

Darkrai faced her again and asked her

"What's it to you?" But he wasn't as brusque this time.

I held my breath as I watched Cresselia close in on him and kiss him again, but on the lips. Darkrai flinched but didn't back away. When Cresselia ended the kiss, she floated back a little and said softly

"Because I care about you. I have been worried about you for a week now. I'm sorry about what I said, about you not having any compassion. If you'll give me another chance, I would be more than willing to listen to whatever you have to say."

Darkrai looked at her for a minute, then focused on his fist. Finally he faced her and said

"Okay."

The vision ended there and present-day Cressie said

"We should go home now. If you want, we can visit back here tomorrow and I can finish where we left off. I would like you to know more about us."

I nodded and told her

"I would love to know more about you guys. And when you're finished, I'll show you my past, too."

She nodded as well, then we walked through the barrier and made our way back to the hotel, my mind still swimming with what I had seen today.

**Okay, I liked this chapter much better. Now that things have settled down in my mind, I can get back to writing this story how it should be written, my way! Reviews would be nice, so leave me some, please!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Rag Doll, Chapter 26**

**So, we've seen a bit into Darky's and Cressie's past. I want to finish that up, then most likely give a little insight into Rose's past. I hope you guys like the sound of that, because I plan to work hard on it. If you don't then that makes me sad. :.{ Anyway, let's get started!**

Blade's POV

The next day, I went to the precinct in excitement. Last night Rose seemed a bit solemn, but I had a feeling she was missing her family again. I didn't want to pry into her emotions because I respected her privacy. If she wanted to talk about it, she would.

I walked down the street in my pokemon form. I was still slightly uneasy about it, but I didn't attract any glances this time. I guess the news about a Gallade officer had gotten around and served its purpose. I entered the precinct and saw the same Hariyama I encountered the first time. I waved to him and said

"Morning, Carl. How's the rap look today?"

He looked up from his paper and responded

"Morning, Blade. Looks pretty empty today actually. I guess your presence scares this town to the point where the criminals run before they have to face you."

This made me laugh, and I entered the back and found Stan's office with little trouble.

"Morning, Blade. How's it going?" Stan asked me.

I smiled at him and told him

"Pretty good. Rose seemed a little down last night, though. I figured she was missing her family again, so I didn't bother her about it. If she's still depressed tonight, though, then I'll say something. How'd your date last night go?"

He put his arms behind his head and sighed in contentment.

"Things couldn't have gone better. It turns out we have the same food preferences. Imagine that, huh? We also had similar tastes in music. I wonder if this girl could be the one, you know? I realize that this isn't a fairy tale, but I really like her. I don't want to push her, either. I want to let things run their course and see where it goes. Which reminds me…" he said, looking up at the clock

"We've got patrol in the back streets today. Hope you brought your a-game today, there's usually something that goes wrong there. We should head over now and relieve the current patrol. They've been on since last night."

So he got up and grabbed his badge, pinning it on his fur. I wondered about this action and asked

"Aren't you supposed to keep your badge on at all times?"

Stan grimaced and said

"Yeah, but those of us who have to pin it on our fur often get the unpleasant experience of having it pulled out. Even the Chief has been known to take a break once in a while from the badge, but only while we're in a safe place, namely our offices."

I accepted this and we went on our way. When we got to the back streets of the city, I was reminded of that small town Drake had taken Rose and me to for the purpose of refilling our supplies. The streets were dirty, not to the point of the slums back in the society, but were dirty nonetheless. I could see various people, pokemon in human shape mostly, staring at us as we passed them. I wondered why nothing was done to improve this side of the city. Finally I put the question to Stan, but softly.

"It's been tried several times, and by Darkrai himself. But the results never last. Finally he gave up. He didn't want to force anyone to do anything by using his nightmares after Cresselia came into the city, so he relied on the force to keep the peace in this area. Crime has gone up a bit, but the population isn't as terrified anymore. They know we do our best to help, and we tend to catch criminals and lock them away. But we do have those days where nothing works out for us. You'll experience one of those days. I just hope it isn't today."

As he finished, a scream rang out from the alley tour right. We instantly ran down and saw an elderly woman sitting on her side, crying. We ran up to her and Stan asked

"Ma'am, what happened?"

The elderly lady, an Ampharos judging by her clothing and hairstyle, looked up at Stan and told him

"I was just leaving my house to go to the grocery store, but after I descended the stairs I was attacked by a burly masked man. He shoved me over and grabbed my purse, then thanked me for the free house, since I had just placed my keys in there."

"Which way did he go?" I asked her quickly. She pointed to a side track in the alley and I instantly took off, shouting at Stan

"Keep her safe, I'll be right back!"

I ran down the side track, opening my mind to search for the criminal. I knew that he would be more excited than anybody who was innocent, so I kept my senses open for high emotions. I was able to find some footprints in the dirt that looked fresh, so I followed those as quickly as I could run, hoping to make a good first impression for my record. The criminal had taken may twists and turns, even looping back in an attempt to cover his trail. This was one of those criminals that had planned beforehand. But only to steal something as trivial as a purse? There had to be something else going on here.

In the midst of choosing a path, as the footprints had disappeared, I caught the sense of victory. I turned my head in the direction it was coming from, and sure enough, I could further divine the feeling of victory over a simple heist. Smirking, I took off in the direction it was coming from, the right. As I ran, I also detected the presence of a few others, who were much calmer than my target. From my distance, I couldn't tell what they were thinking. Then I focused on the criminal I was after, but just barely. I figured if he's hanging out with some of his buddies, there's a higher chance I found a crime syndicate. Also, any one of them could be psychic type, so they would sense my presence if I wasn't careful about covering my tracks. Eventually, I came up to a warehouse. I could sense the people inside, but out of caution I closed my mind. I searched for a way inside that wasn't the front door. I found a window on the side of the warehouse that was wide open but a good twenty feet above me. I smirked and thought

"_Time for that training to pay off."_

I focused deep inside myself and prepared my mind to use Psychic. I squatted, then jumped as high as I could, about ten to twelve feet, then levitated myself the rest of the way. I silently crawled through the window and crept to the edge of a landing. I peeked over the edge and saw a gang with a large pile of purses behind them, rifling through the purses and dumping their contents on the ground. I saw that the gathering consisted of a Feraligatr, Sneasel, a couple of Graveler, and finally a Vileplume who was standing over them, watching their work. One of the Graveler looked up at their boss and asked

"Hey, why we stealing all these purses anyways? What is we doin' with 'em?"

The Vileplume stalked over to him and conjured a Leaf Blade and smacked him over the head with it. Then he shouted

"Geez, what are you, stupid or somethin'? How many times do I have to explain it before it gets through that Rock Head of yours?"

**A/N: Yes, this is referring to the ability Rock Head. I decided to make it a joke. What do you think?**

"Alright, I'll go through this again, but this is the last time, so everybody shut up and pay attention. We's stealin' all these purses to hides our 'packages', see? Then we ship them out to our 'customers' and start raking in the dough, get it? Then we get more purses and keep the cycle going. We'll be rollin' in green, and I ain't talking leaves. We'll be rulin' the city before long, and there won't be nobody to stop us!"

Satisfied, I said loudly

"I beg to differ."

They all jumped and looked up to me as I jumped down from the landing, flipping over for dramatics and fun, landing lightly on my feet in a kneeling position ten feet away with my arms crossed in front of me. As I straightened up, I threw my arms down to my sides, extending my blades as I did so and assuming battle.

"You're under arrest for repeated accounts of larceny and illegal possession and abusive intent of drugs."

"Crap, the cops!" the thickheaded Graveler shouted.

The Vileplume snorted and said

"He's only one guy, we can take him. Get 'im boys!"

Five minutes later found me tying up the criminals with some spare rope I found at the back of the warehouse since I only had one pair of handcuffs which I used on the Vileplume. I was telling them

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and _will _be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have read to you?"

The Vileplume spit in my direction, refusing to answer. The Graveler, however, had something else to say.

"What's an attorney?"

I heard laughter behind me, and when I turned around I saw Stan and the elderly Ampharos entering the warehouse. Stan was in an uproar at the scene before him.

"I see you took care of them easily. So what's the story here?"

I stood and replied

"These criminals are under arrest for repeated larceny…" I pointed to the pile of purses "And for possession and abusive intent of illegal drugs." I motioned to the boxes of drugs I had found in the corner but hadn't touched.

"You didn't touch any of the evidence, did you?" Stan asked me.

I shook my head and said

"No. I located the drugs when the thickheaded Graveler blurted out where they were. I haven't touched anything. They were planning on sending drugs to customers through the purses."

Stan's eyes widened in shock, then he said

"Wow, only the second day on the job and you bust a drug syndicate. Chief's gonna be glad to hear this, and I can only imagine how your girl is react to the news."

I chuckled at this and replied

"Oh, I don't need to imagine anything. Rose will be lecturing me on how I promised to stay safe on the job and that I shouldn't be taking risks like that again."

Stan chuckled too, then brought a walkie-talkie out and pressed the button.

"I need a police van over at the storage warehouse off Ray and Rocky."

There was a brief amount of static, then a voice replied

"10-4, we're on our way."

Then the elderly Ampharos approached and asked

"Can I have my purse back, now?"

I looked at her gently and said

"I'm very sorry, ma'am, but these purses are now evidence. We have to hold on to these until we solve the case, but then I promise your possessions will be promptly returned to you."

She nodded in understanding and said

"Thank you for your politeness, young man."

I dipped my head in acknowledgement, then turned my attention back to the criminals to ensure they didn't go anywhere. The van soon arrived and we put them in the back, while Stan, the elderly Ampharos and I took seat up at the front. We dropped the Ampharos at her house and called her a locksmith so she could get in her house, then we continued to the precinct where the criminals were officially jailed up and I received praises for my actions, which I mildly accepted but couldn't help feeling good about. I couldn't wait to tell Rose, Cresselia and Darkrai about my day.

Rose's POV

Cressie and I returned to the meadow so she could finish her tale of how she and Darkrai got together. When we got back to where we were yesterday, she continued to explain some of the after-events.

"After Darky agreed to talk to me, it was only about small things at first. I had to keep encouraging him to make him talk about the bigger things, the things that caused him grief."

She took hold of my mind again and the scene shifted before my eyes. They were still in the meadow, but Darkrai and Cresselia were in their human forms. It looked like Cresselia had encouraged and convinced Darkrai to rest his head on her lap as he talked to her, staring straight into her face. Cressie started at the beginning of their most significant conversation.

"So," Cresselia was asking him "Do you take pleasure at all in the nightmares you give people?"

Darkrai stared into her eyes and challenged

"Would you?"

"I guess not, but would you take pleasure in torturing your enemies?"

"I didn't do it to you, did I?"

That seemed to take Cresselia aback.

"Could you torture me with nightmares, despite the fact that I am the giver of good dreams?"

"Easy."

Shocked, Cresselia struggled to think of another question.

"Can you focus your nightmares on anyone in particular?"

Snorting, Darkrai said

"Yeah, I have at least _that _much control."

Frowning, Cresselia asked

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Darkrai started "for the most part, I can control the nightmares in the sense that I can focus them to any particular person. I also can choose what nightmare to induce. Everyone, pokemon or human, has fears, primal and personal. My power plays on those fears, makes the victim live or relive those terrors while they're asleep. So far, no Darkrai has found a way to prevent our power from afflicting those who try to sleep. My father attempted to create a device that could seal our powers so we wouldn't be hated anymore. Unfortunately, in the process he killed himself. You know, I thought about how our powers work, and I wondered why we didn't experience nightmares ourselves. One day, when I was visiting a town, I found out why."

"What?" Cresselia asked softly, keeping a hand pressed over her mouth, tears threatening to spill out.

Darkrai turned away from her gaze and said

"We live our nightmares every waking moment. All we want is to be accepted, to be loved. But that can't happen, because people can't look past the fact that we cause nightmares, whether or not we will it. They ignore, spite and hate us, so we isolate ourselves from civilization to avoid conflict. If we try to make a friend, we are killed or chased away. We can only breed among ourselves. We can't experience the joys of having relationships, or friendships for that matter, outside of our sector. We are the phantoms that everyone despises."

The vision ended there because Cresselia couldn't focus anymore, she was crying now, just as she had in the past. I supported her all the way to the hotel, and many people gave us strange looks as we passed, but didn't care. I now knew the kind of suffering that happened across the world, maybe not all of it, but at least I knew that other people were miserable in their lives too.

**Well, that took a while to write out. Tell you what, I enjoyed coming up with Darkrai's past and a further explanation of his powers. I felt that Darkrai is prejudiced against, which is unfair when you don't even know the story yourself. So, what did you all think about it? let me know, please!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Rag Doll, Chapter 27**

**Heya, everyone, it's me again! Okay, so I've been getting reviews saying that Chapter 24 wasn't that bad after all. I really appreciate that, but in my opinion it's still the worst chapter I've ever written. I've also been looking over some other fancfics, some being one-shots. I've been rather curious to try a one-shot myself. I'm still working on some ideas, but don't worry, I'm not about to quit on this story yet. Another matter of business; I've been itching to try out some pools for all those pokefreaks out there, but I don't know if anyone would answer them or not. If you would be so kind, let me know if you **_**would**_** answer any of the polls I put up. I want a majority vote before anything does go up, so if you're interested, let me know. Now, on to more important matters.**

Blade's POV

I got back to the hotel, brimming with excitement to tell Rose what happened. I was also a little subdued by thoughts of her reaction, but that couldn't mar my buoyant spirits. When I got back to our room, though, Rose wasn't there. Thinking she must be with Cresselia again, I swear those two were as inseparable as sisters, I went to the elevator after carefully closing and locking the room.

When I reached the top floor and knocked on the door, Darkrai answered it and let me in. We did a special handshake that Darkrai had apparently learned from watching the humans. It involved putting our wrists together and sliding our hands toward ourselves up until the fingertips. Then we drew our hands back further, made fists, and bumped them together. When Darkrai first showed me this gesture, I was stumped on multiple levels. Mostly on the actual gesture itself, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't confusion that Darkrai was performing these strange acts. He drew me over to the side and said

"The girls are in the kitchen. Can you figure out what's wrong? Rose came back supporting Cressie, who was crying, but they refuse to explain anything to me."

Cringing, I told him

"Sorry, man. I respect a girl's privacy, so I won't peer in on their feelings or minds, if that's what you're asking."

He shook his head and said

"No, I don't want you to do that. I respect a girl's privacy, too. But I'm worried about Cressie. Normally, she's not this secretive. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I have a feeling it involves me. Maybe I hurt her in some way. If that's the case, then I want to know what I did so I can make it up to her."

"Aww, aren't you a softie?"

He smirked and asked

"Will you help?"

I didn't even think about it as I said

"Of course I'll help. You didn't think I was going to leave my friend to flounder, did you? Besides, if Cresselia is upset about something, then I want to help. Whenever I picture her, it's always someone who's… happy. So to see her sad would be profoundly wrong."

He nodded and hung back, still under the suspicion that he was the source behind Cresselia's depression.

"Hey girls, what's going on?" I asked as I stepped into the kitchen.

I could see Cresselia sitting at the table, looking pretty morose, which sent chills down my spine. My statement of a few seconds ago proved true. It _was _wrong to see her sad.

I looked over to Rose and raised my eyebrows. She stared at me and spoke to me telepathically.

"_We were just reviewing her memories in the park. She wanted me to better understand how she and Darkrai got together. But when we came to a certain piece, she collapsed into a depression. I've been trying to get her out of it for almost two hours now, but I've had no luck. Can you help me?"_

"_What exactly caused her depression? When did she collapse?"_

"_It was when they first started talking to each other instead of fighting. Darkrai had been curious as to why they didn't suffer from their own nightmares, only to realize that they live them. Cresselia had cried for him in the past, and when she saw that part, she actually started crying and lost her concentration. I'm worried about her now."_

"_Well then, that makes three of us. Darkrai's been concerned for her since you two got back. He wanted to find out what was wrong, but when neither of you would answer, he started thinking it was his fault, so he asked me if I could help."_

Rose smacked herself in the face, then told me

"_I was so intent on helping Cressie that I didn't even notice Darkrai! Can you explain the situation to him and see if he has any ideas?"_

I nodded and headed back to Darkrai.

"So, what's wrong?"

"Evidently Cresselia was reviewing her past with you and showing it to Rose. Then she came upon a depressing piece, something involving you realizing about the reason Darkrai never suffer from their own nightmares because they live them every day."

Darkrai slapped his forehead and said softly

"Dammit! I knew this was my fault. She wanted me to open up, so I did. I guess I let on a bit too much."

"Rose asked me to tell you that she didn't notice your presence as she was busy trying to help Cresselia. She also wondered if you would have any ideas."

Darkrai put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. Then he said

"Do you think slapping her will help break her out and get over it?"

I stared at him for a moment, then slapped him right across the face.

"Ow! What the hell, man?!"

"Feel better now?" I asked him.

"No…"

"Then don't slap her. Idiot."

Darkrai hung his head for a second, then picked it back up in concentration.

"What we need" he said "Is a way to break her out of her reverie. To snap her out of this depression."

"But how do we do that?" I asked him.

He paced the floor for a few minutes, and with each passing minute, his scowl grew deeper and deeper. Finally he stopped and faced me.

"I may have an idea. It's not the best one I've had, but I can't think of any other way."

"What is it?"

"Okay," he started "We take her to the meadow, then you two set her where I tell you to set her. Then, I'm going to start a battle with her."

I stared for a second, and before he could open his mouth again I shouted silently

"Are you crazy?! She's already depressed; now you're just going to take her to her place of sorrows and beat her up?!"

He shook his head solemnly and replied

"No, I'm going to take her to a place of _memories _and provoke her to fight me. I'm going to make it look like I'm trying, but I'm actually going to let her beat _me_."

I paused for a moment, then said

"That's not the best of ideas, and there's not even a guarantee of it working."

"I already said it wasn't my best idea, but I can't think of anything else. If we don't take care of this tonight, though, then nightmares will reign supreme, and I don't want that. The only reason that my nightmares don't affect the entire city on a regular basis anymore is because Cressie's abilities counter my powers. If she doesn't use them, though, then nothing will stop my powers from ruling the night. The worst part is, I can affect her if she doesn't counter me. If we don't end her depression now, and she sleeps and is affected by my nightmares, she may never be the same."

"Then I guess we'll have to try your idea."

I went back to the kitchen, where Rose raised her eyebrows at me. I explained everything that had occurred between Darkrai and I, not even leaving out the slapping business. When I finished, she said

"_It's risky, and I don't like it."_

"_I don't like it myself, but as Darkrai said, if we don't do anything, the damage might become permanent."_

Rose then nodded and motioned to the side of Cresselia she wasn't on. I went over and helped her pick Cresselia up. She didn't even seem to notice us, which worried me greatly. When we took her out to the living room to head out the door, Darkrai was waiting for us. He took one look at Cresselia and said

"She's pretty far gone, isn't she?"

Rose and I both nodded. Darkrai transformed back into his pokemon form and continued.

"Then we have no time to lose. You two take her to the meadow, you should know where it is, Rose. I'll stay ahead of you and make sure nobody bothers our plan. See you soon."

And with that he melded into the shadows that hung around the room and was gone. I looked at Rose and nodded, and she nodded back. We were determined to help Cresselia, by whatever means necessary now. We couldn't afford to waste time. So we hurried along our path. Darkrai kept to his word and made sure no one interfered with us. Rose led me to the park and to a solid patch of trees, then looked at me and said

"I need you to trust me on this, okay? There is an illusion on this tree line. It doesn't actually exist, so we can just go right through, okay?"

I nodded and we walked forward. As she said, there wasn't anything there. All I experienced was a gentle breeze while we walked through the trees. Then we came out on a magnificent field that shone brightly in the moonlight. Ironically, it was a perfect crescent moon.

"Good, you made it in a timely fashion."

We jerked at the sound and saw a floating shadow that had the distinct presence of a phantom.

"Set her over there" he said pointing to a specific area, a sort of crescent moon of flowers. Rose and I set her in the open part of the field. We looked back at Darkrai for further instruction, but he just waved us back. When we were a safe distance away, he told us

"Don't interfere in any way."

Without speaking further, he charged a Dark Pulse in his hand and shouted

"Wake up, Cresselia!" then shot it at the ground in front of her. Rose let out a soft shriek, but I held her back from blocking the attack. Just before the attack hit the ground, Cresselia looked up in front of her. The ground exploded, pushing her back onto the flowers. For a moment, she didn't move, and I panicked that we could have just killed the Giver of Good Dreams. But then she moaned, and slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees, then looked at Darkrai, who was charging another Dark Pulse.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted at him.

Before he brought his hand down to fire again, he said

"Bringing you to your senses."

The next blast threw her a few more feet back, but she got up faster this time. I could see anger in her eyes now.

"_Maybe Darkrai's plan will work after all!" _I thought excitedly.

As Cresselia ran, a bright light surrounded her, and a few seconds later she appeared in her pokemon form. Her speed increased as she began flying at Darkrai, who was charging a Shadow Ball. He hurled it in her direction but deliberately screwed up. Cresselia dodged the blow easily as she charged a Focus Blast between her hands. When she got close, she drew her arm back and threw the light-blue ball at his chest, screaming

"Knock it off!"

The Focus Blast hit Darkrai squarely in the chest, and he fell over from the power of the move. When he slammed into the ground, he let out a grunt of pain, which seemed to bring Cresselia back to her senses. She quickly transformed again, then ran to Darkrai's form, shouting

"Darky!"

Rose and I came out of our hiding spot, wondering if the plan had worked. So far things seemed good, but what would she be like in five, or even ten minutes? When she reached Darkrai, she lifted him up to her by the back of his head. His eyelids fluttered open, then he looked upon Cresselia, and he smiled.

"Hey Cressie…"

"Don't give me that! What were you thinking?!"

Rose and I arrived just as Darkrai transformed back into a human. He lifted his hand to her cheek and softly caressed it, saying

"Remember when I told you that I suffered from living nightmares?"

Rose slapped her face, probably thinking he was being completely stupid by bringing up the subject that had unbalanced her in the first place, a sentiment I agreed with. Cresselia nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

"Well," Darkrai chuckled "You broke it."

"What?" Cresselia asked softly, confused.

"I said all I wanted was someone to love, someone who could love me back. It was an endless nightmare that I believed would last. Until you came along, Cressie. You gave me what I was searching for, you showed me what it meant to love and be loved."

He ran his hand through her beautiful blonde hair, and she grasped his hand and pressed it to her mouth. When the contact was broken, Darkrai said

"Please don't leave me again, Cressie. I don't know what I would do without you."

Then the two shared a compassionate kiss, and with that Rose and I made our exit.

**Whew, this was a difficult chapter to figure out. I kept asking myself "I want to make Cresselia depressed, but not make it permanent. I also want to make Darkrai compassionate and loving to her, so how can I work that together?" Then it turned out like this! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think of it.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Rag Doll, Chapter 28**

**What's up guys? Alright, so I've got good news and bad news is. The good news (intermingled with a bit of bad news) is that I originally thought that this story was coming to a close. I didn't want that! So I've been beating myself up (mentally) to find a way to extend it, which is what I'm sure you want (or at least I do). The bad news is, it's going to be a sort of tragedy. I don't want to give too many spoilers, but I don't expect the tragedy for at least one more chapter. There's going to be a little more happiness while I try to wring out the details of the tragicness. So, enjoy!**

Blade's POV

I was the happiest Gallade on earth right now. It had been six months since our incident with Cresselia's depression. Since then, Darkrai and Cresselia have been closer than ever. Rose and I grew closer ourselves, and I was itching to marry her for the longest month ever. I had finally gathered enough money due to rising quickly in the ranks, but only a couple of levels.

**A/N: I really don't think that officers can rise up as quickly as Blade has, but for the sake of the story, it works.**

I was now to be referred to as Sergeant Radford. I had a hell of a time trying to pick a last name, but it became easier when Stan, who is now Lieutenant Ramirez, started helping me pick one. I didn't like a lot of the ones he suggested, but when he said "Radford", I swear something clicked into place. So I settled on Radford, and when I married Rose, she would become Rose Radford. She didn't bother trying to get a last name since she knew I was going to marry her. What she didn't know was how soon, though.

I had been secretly plotting with Cresselia, asking her to keep it secret. She agreed and held on magnificently. Even when Rose broached the subject herself, Cresselia had the knack of diverting her away from it inconspicuously. Darkrai helped too, but very little. He just didn't quite have the flare for events such as this. I surprised him though when I asked him to be my Best Man. He just stood there, shocked as all hell, and Cresselia squealed in excitement. I let her know that I wanted Rose to ask her to be the Maid of Honor. She nodded in understanding, asking when I was going to ask her. I told her I had a special occasion in mind. I had even gone so far as to buy a ring.

I had made reservations at a very fancy restaurant, making sure to get seats on the top floor, and right as the sun would set, during that magical period that the ring would be presented and I would ask her. I already had a date for the actual wedding set in mind, about two weeks after I would ask her. With the money I collected over my working time, I also managed to afford a house, one that wasn't too far from the hotel where Cresselia and Darkrai made their residence. It was situated near the park, a three bed, two bath house. I had been renovating it slightly as it wasn't in the best condition, which was how I got it so easily. But when we were married, it would be ready to move into, and I planned for us to enjoy our time together. Everything was coming together nicely. The reservations were today and fast approaching, though not fast enough. I had told Rose that this was going to be a very special occasion, so she was currently getting ready. I stored the case that held the ring in a pocket on the inside of my jacket, brimming with excitement. I didn't want to tip her off, though, so I quickly calmed myself and waited for her to come out, ready for our date.

Finally, she came out, looking ravaging in her dress of black and dark red, her hair styled so it all fell to one side, her right. I offered her my arm, and together we left the hotel, receiving looks at our attire. When we made it outside, Rose was surprised to see we had a ride. I couldn't afford a limousine, but it was a fancy car nonetheless; we even had our own chauffeur for the night. I led her to it and helped her in. When I got in myself, the chauffer drove us promptly to the restaurant, where my plan could finally take place.

Rose's POV

I was excited when Blade told me we were going on a special date tonight. But I began to wonder when we would be married, as he and I planned to be, preferably sooner. Even when I had tried to touch up on the subject with Cressie, she somehow managed to lead me away from it and completely forget about it. But the issue always came back.

I decided to wear a special dress that Cressie had gotten for me recently, one that hugged my body and accentuated my curves, one that I felt would definitely make Blade's head spin. I also styled my hair to the right of my head. It was a style I had seen before and wanted to replicate. It actually worked well for me.

When we got outside, where I was glad to be, away from all the staring, I saw a magnificent car waiting for us, a chauffeur holding open the door for me. Blade helped me in, climbed in himself, and we were off.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Blade gently pulled me out, then led me to the desk.

"Reservations?" the front deskman asked.

"Table for two, under Radford."

"Ah, yes. Top floor, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

The deskman summoned an escort, and Blade told me

"Rose, why don't you go with him, I need to ask a few questions."

I tried to figure out what was going on, but Blade was hiding something from me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, and right now his emotions were as blank as Darkrai's usually were. Perplexed, I followed the escort. Before I turned the corner, I looked back at Blade. He had just handed something to the deskman, but I couldn't see what it was. Something small, apparently. Then the deskman nodded and bowed to Blade, who bowed back.

After traveling up a couple of floors, I finally reached the roof. Blade joined me not long after, and I tried to ask him what he was up to, but he denied everything. A waiter soon approached us and asked for our selections. We had been perusing the menus for the whole time I had been trying to wrestle the information out of him. We placed our orders which soon arrived, then we ordered our dinner. Desert followed soon after, shortly before sunset. When we finished and the dishes were taken away, Blade looked at me and asked

"So, how did you enjoy tonight?"

"Oh, Blade, tonight was absolutely magical. I don't know how it could get any better" I responded.

A twinkle appeared in his eye, and he softly said

"I'll show you how."

Then he snapped his fingers and the deskman from earlier appeared with a small golden platter. I didn't know what Blade could be showing me, and I didn't have time to speculate as he set the platter on the table and bowed his way out. I looked at the platter, which was covered, then up at Blade, who was standing and walking over to me. He stretched his hand out to me, which I took, then he lifted me out of my chair and led me to the balcony, taking the golden platter with him and setting it on the stone railing.

The sun was almost set, halfway in our vision and half out. It cast amazing colors on the sky, purples, yellows, reds, and oranges. It was breathtaking. Blade turned to me, and I turned to him, then he started to speak, his voice filled with passion.

"Rose, since the day we met, I wanted to get to know you a little more. Over time, we came to love each other. I had to leave in order to avoid persecution. You were under no obligation to join me, but you came anyway."

This was not strictly true. If I hadn't left, I would probably have been killed. I guess he means that I didn't have to join him specifically, but I did anyway.

"As we traveled, I saw more of you, of your personality that I cannot get enough of. Throughout the good times and the bad, you never left my mind. After we ran from the society, you never left my side, and as we have lived here, you have stood by me in every decision I made. So now, I hope you stand by me in this."

He reached for the platter and brought it out in front of him. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted the lid and revealed an extraordinary silver ring that had emeralds set into it. I gasped at the ring, and at what I thought it signified. Tears began welling up in my eyes as I looked up at him and he said

"Rose, will you marry me?"

I flung myself at him and kissed him with every scrap of passion I could muster, careful not to knock the ring away. When we finally pulled apart, I tearfully gazed at his eyes and responded

"Yes."

**The Next Morning**

Blade's POV

I awoke from my slumber, drunk with happiness at the success of my plan. I looked over to my future wife lying next to me. She was radiant with happiness despite the fact she was asleep. I looked at the clock and saw I had slept in. It didn't matter, I had the day off anyway. I was planning for us to show Darkrai and Cresselia the fruits of my labors, which I would not hesitate to repeat a hundred times if I had to. I brushed her hair gently aside, waking her. As she yawned, I told her

"Good morning, beautiful."

She giggled and replied

"Good morning, handsome."

We prepared ourselves for the day, still beside ourselves with happiness. We now enjoyed breakfast with Darkrai and Cresselia. They were waiting at the bottom of the elevator, Cresselia visibly shaking with excitement, Darkrai with a knowing smile on his face. Cresselia couldn't take the tension anymore, she ran up to Rose and asked

"Well? Did he ask?"

Rose started in surprise, but then she lifted her right hand, on which she happily wore the ring I gave her last night. Cresselia squealed in delight and promptly began crushing the life out of my fiancée. Darkrai and I laughed at her antics, but soon pried her off of Rose. People were staring at us, wondering what the commotion could be about. We soon sat at a table, plates filled with food that we eagerly consumed. Then Rose started asking questions.

"How did you know that Blade had proposed to me?"

Cresselia looked at me, pleading, and I nodded my assent.

"We knew he was going to for a month now! He's been planning the details out with us for the last four weeks!"

Rose's eyes widened in shock.

"When did he find the time to talk to you?!"

Cresselia got a sly look on her face and replied

"Oh, usually in the mornings when you were still asleep ."

Rose appeared embarrassed, then turned to me and asked

"Why didn't you tell me anything?"

I looked to her and smiled.

"Because I didn't want to make any life-changing moves until I was sure our position was secure. Now that it is, we can move forward."

I could see suspicion forming behind her next words.

"Then… does that mean…?"

"Yup! We move in the day of our wedding. I'm having some renovations done right now, but they'll be finished when we're done."

She jumped up and ran over to me again. We shared another kiss, happy for the events we had hoped for so long to fall into place. I couldn't wait for the two weeks before we were officially wed.

**I'm sure you guys can't wait, either, so let's move ahead a bit, shall we?**

This was a glorious day to be alive. I tried to calm myself down enough to focus, but after three failed attempts, I said screw it.

I was up front, along with the Alakazam who would be performing the ceremony. The guests were a conglomeration of people from the city, mostly my fellow policemen, but there were also some close friends of Darkrai's and Cresselia's who were joining us. I heard the music begin to play, then all the little children rushed forward, the girls with their baskets of flower petals, the boys standing as tall as they could considering their respective sizes. Then the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the aisles, arm in arm, finishing with Darkrai and Cresselia, the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. When they were up front, new music began to play, and I saw my bride walk into the hall and begin up the aisle. I had been faced with another problem; her father wasn't around to hand her off, nor were any of her relatives. And Darkrai was my Best Man, so I was stumped about this dilemma. Several days ago though, the answer presented itself. I smiled as I remembered what happened…

_I had been trying to complete the report for an arrest on Breaking and Entering charges, but my mind was occupied with my current problem; who was I going to get to hand Rose off to me at the altar? I had been contemplating this issue for a few days now, and the wedding was getting ever closer. Stan wasn't in today, so I couldn't consult him on this issue. _

_I printed out the report and went to the Chief's office to hand him the paperwork, my mind still buzzing for a solution. I knocked and heard_

"_Come in."_

_I opened the door and walked up to the Chief's desk handing him the papers._

"_Thank you. Something wrong, Blade? You look very stressed out right now."_

_I looked up to him and said_

"_Well, I'm getting married in less than a week, but I don't know who's going to hand my bride off to me. We left her family far behind, and our two closest friends are our Best Man and Maid of Honor. I don't know what to do! Do you have any advice, Chief?"_

_He looked at his desk for half a minute, then took a deep breath and asked_

"_Would you mind if I did it?"_

_I paused for a second, then said_

"_Of course, if you're willing."_

_He nodded and said_

"_Then I'll do it."_

_The thanks I gave him that day and afterwards were many, and he said he was happy to help a young, loving couple fulfill their greatest desire._

My happiness swelled to new heights as I saw the Chief, in his best attire for Arcanine, walking beside Rose down the aisle. When they reached the altar, the music ended on a final note. The Chief handed her off to me and gave me a wink as he turned to find his seat.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" the Alakazam started, and then everything became a blur for me. The only things I remembered were my pure, distilled joy, the beauty of Rose in her resplendent white dress, and the feeling of her hand in mine. Finally, time came back to me when the Alakazam asked

"Do you, Blade, take Rose to be your lawfully wedded wife, to care for in sickness and in health, to be true to her through good times and bad, to honor and love her, for so long as you shall live?"

Looking directly into her eyes, I said

"I do."

"And do you, Rose, take Blade to be your lawfully wedded husband, to care for in sickness and in health, to be true to him through good times and bad, to honor and love him, for so long as you shall live?"

Looking into my eyes, she said

"I do."

Then the Alakazam closed his Bible and raised his arms, saying

"Then by the power invested in me by Arceus, I now declare you man and wife!"

Amid all the cheers, we placed the rings on each other's fingers, then shared the best kiss we had yet. The reception was massive, all planned by Cresselia at her insistence. We particularly enjoyed cutting the cake and the mess that followed. All in all, it was a very successful wedding, one that neither Rose nor I would forget. I took her to the car that would take us to our new house. During the day, I had our possessions moved out of the hotel room and into the new house where I believed we would spend many happy days.

When we arrived, I pulled her out of the car and swiftly grabbed her, carrying her bridal-style, which perfectly fit the moment. She giggled as I did this, and I carried her up the walkway and through the door. I set her down so she could look at where we would be living for the rest of our lives. When she was finished inspecting it, she came up to me and nuzzled closely. I held her in my arms and asked her

"Do you like it?"

She looked up at me and said

"I love it. Thank you so much for everything Blade. I just wish my mother and father could have been there." As she said this, a tear rolled down her face. I gently wiped it away and hugged her closer.

"Don't worry," I told her. "I know that they're thinking of you, and I know that they believe you are living a happier life right now. And now," I said, directing her face to look at me

"It's time to fulfill my promise to you."

Her eyes lit and teared up as she registered the meaning behind my words. She knew exactly what I was talking about, the day she had been looking forward to since I made my promise to her. I picked her up and carried her to our new bedroom, softly closing the door behind me.

**WHOO! I did it! That's how you write out a successful wedding, ladies and gentlemen. It took me awhile to scrap up the details, and I might have missed something, but I still think this chapter was a success. Okay, big update here; if you were expecting a lemon, I plan to make one, but it will not appear here. It's going to be in my other story, A Series of Lemony Events. I can't exactly say when it will appear, but I will get it done.. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. I hope it's going to be as big of a success as I hope it will be. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Rag Doll, Chapter 29**

**Boy, 29 now? This story's starting to get long, isn't it? Well, as all love stories do, tragedy will strike, but perhaps not in the form you might expect. It might happen in this chapter, that's kind of what I have planned. If it doesn't happen here, it will in the next chapter. So, let's begin. By the way, this starts five years after Blade's and Rose's marriage. In this time, they have had a child, a little girl they named Jennifer in honor of Rose's little sister, but if they have a son, they won't be naming him Alex, just so you know.**

Blade's POV

As I returned home from an exhausting day at the office and streets, Jenny, my daughter that I was so proud of, ran up to me, shouting

"Daddy!"

I laughed and scooped her up, throwing her into the air and catching her, only to throw her back up. She started squealing happily, she always loved it when I did this. She was still a little Ralts right now, but she couldn't wait to evolve into a Kirlia. She loved how they looked, so graceful and pretty she said. But I was content with my little girl. I heard bright laughter behind me and saw that Rose and Cresselia were at the kitchen table, having tea. Cresselia just loved our little girl to death, and not even Darkrai could suppress his smile when he looked at her, always happy and bouncing around.

We had lived happily in the house I bought for five years. We started our family right off, and there were some rough times, but we held strong and saw it through. When Jenny was born, Rose and I declared Cresselia and Darkrai Godmother and Godfather. They had both been touched by this gesture, and gladly accepted. We didn't expect anything to happen, but you never knew.

I heard the sound of a door opening, and when I looked I saw Darkrai coming through the back door, carrying in a bundle of firewood. I looked over to the fireplace and saw it was indeed low, and either Cresselia or Rose asked him to go get some more. After he dropped it off, he came up to me and we did our human-handshake greeting. Jenny looked at me and asked loudly

"Daddy, what's that weird thing you do with him?"

Darkrai and I both laughed when she asked this, and I said

"It's a special greeting that Darkrai and I use when we're saying 'hi' to each other. He learned it by watching the humans. You can learn a lot of amazing things by simply watching."

"Oh, like how you beat up the bad guys?" she asked innocently.

Darkrai and I busted up laughing again. Children had a way of saying stuff that was so darn cute. And they didn't know that sometimes it's best to keep your trap shut, so they'll eagerly speak their minds. I walked into the kitchen, still holding Jenny in my arms with Darkrai in tow.

"Hey honey. How are things?" Rose asked me.

Setting Jenny on my lap as I sat down, I answered

"Hard. I swear, I must have gotten soft."

Cresselia and Rose laughed at this, Darkrai joining in. We talked for a few minutes about various things, how Jenny was doing in school, my job, and the responsibilities that Darkrai had to attend to. But it was all perfect. That is, until we heard a massive, loud roar echo across the city, one that scared Jenny and Made Darkrai scowl heavily while Cresselia paled. Jumping up, we all ran outside, and at the entrance to the city, I could see a massive green dragon that had black lines along its body that flashed yellow. It opened its jaws and bellowed again, practically deafening us. Darkrai turned and said

"Stay here."

He transformed and melded with the shadows, appearing seconds later in front of the dragon, who I realized was Rayquaza. The Lord of the Skies bent his large head down to Darkrai's level and began speaking with him. Their conversation lasted for about five minutes, then he flew off above the city, casting large shadows as he passed. Darkrai slowly made his way back to us, shaking his head now and again. When he reached us, he motioned to Cresselia and said

"Come on, Cressie. We have to go now. You'll find out what happened tomorrow, Blade. I suggest you spend every moment you can with Rose and Jenny."

He appeared grim, more so than I had seen him in all the time I had known him. He took Cresselia's hand and pulled her to him. Then he melded into the shadows again, taking Cresselia with him. Jenny looked up at me, fear etched into her eyes.

"Daddy, what's going on? Who was that big green guy?"

I looked down at her and said

"That was Rayquaza, the Lord of the Skies. I don't know what he could have been doing here, though. Given Darkrai's mood, I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen."

"Like what?" Rose asked me.

I shook my head to signify that I didn't have a clue. We went back inside and had a small dinner. No one was really that hungry after Darkrai's less-than-revealing news. We played with Jenny until seven, when it was her bedtime. She fought us, but not very well given that she was exhausted. She curled up in her crib with the rag doll that Rose had given her when she was sure she could appreciate its value. She loved that little doll, despite it being worn and ragged.

We silently left her room, leaving the door open a crack so she could see that we would still be keeping her safe. We retired to the living room where we tried to speculate what could have upset Darkrai so much. Soon after we went to bed ourselves.

The next morning I rolled out to my daily routine which I resumed when we started living here. It took a while to get back into it after the months of slacking on it, but I did it eventually. Then I went downstairs to make myself some coffee. I was apprehensive about today, since I was supposed to learn exactly what was wrong. When six-thirty rolled around, I left for work and took my usual route. When I arrived, I knew that something really bad was happening. Every one of my coworkers was standing in the front room. There was no one on post. I stepped forward, my heart pounding.

"Ah, good, you're here, Blade. Now we can start" the Chief said, looking somber.

"What's going on, Chief?" I asked.

The Chief gave a long sigh of resignation, then slowly lifted his head to meet the eyes of those gathered.

"I have grave and terrible news. We are on the brink of war."

Everybody began muttering at this, and Stan asked

"How does this affect us?"

"We are essentially on draft now" the Arcanine answered.

"Every able-bodied male is to meet with the leader of their respective cities and march to meet up with this threat."

A cold feeling of dread flowed through me as I asked

"Who is this threat, or what is it? And what will happen to the females?"

"The females are to stay in their cities and assist the war effort by helping to provide the necessary supplies. As for the threat… it pains me to say this, but Teams Aqua and Magma have risen once more. They have possession of the Red and Blue Orbs, but this time they've corrupted Kyogre and Groudon. They are currently gathering an army to dominate each other, then the world. Arceus gave the call to arms last night, and Rayquaza has been spreading the word to each pokemon civilization. We must band together to end this threat. Now, you all must go home and let your respective families know, then meet up with Darkrai at the entrance to the city. Martha, you'll be in charge of the force while I'm gone. I'm counting on you."

Marla nodded, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill, but she was not the only one. We all were under the threat of breaking down. The Chief, Stan, Carl and I were among the group who nearly broke down.

"Leave your badges at home, we'll be provided Arceus's protection from the humans. Arrive in your pokemon forms. Dismissed."

We all began crowding out the door. I walked home, numb with shock. I sat on a bench to rest for a minute, and as the images of Rose and Jenny came to the front of my mind, I broke down and began sobbing silently.

Rose's POV

I had just woken up, but not by choice. I could hear Jenny starting to wreak havoc in the kitchen. I swear, that child just loved teleporting all over the place and getting her hands on whatever. Fortunately, Blade and I had prepared for that. Anything that was extremely dangerous, such as knives, was stored in a special cabinet that only we could access. I sighed in relief, knowing she wouldn't be able to hurt herself in such a serious manner.

When I got to the kitchen, I found that she was entertaining herself by throwing the bread around and experimenting with the coffee grounds. I sighed as I saw the mess, and Jenny turned to me and shouted brightly

"Morning, mommy!"

I walked over to her, picked her up and said

"Jenny, it's too early for this. Do you know how long this is going to take me to clean up?"

My daughter looked at the mess around her, then she hung her head in shame.

"Sorry, mommy, I was bored and daddy already left! You wouldn't wake up, so I made some fun for myself."

My daughter was very well spoken despite being five years old, and I was proud of her for that, and Blade wouldn't stop bragging about it. I set her in her high-chair and told her

"Next time, don't wreck the house. We have to live in it, you know. And I don't think daddy will be happy with you if he comes home to find the house in shambles. Okay?"

Keeping her head low, she dully said

"Okay. Do you hate me, mommy?"

I picked her up and hugged her closely, then said gently

"I will never hate you for as long as I live. I want you to understand that, right now. You may disappoint me sometimes, you might make me mad, but I will never, _ever_ hate you. Okay, sweetie?"

She nodded and I put her back in her chair and gave her a bowl of oatmeal. She actually loved the stuff, which I could never figure out. But since it was quick and easy to make, it would do for her while she was getting used to solid food. I started cleaning up the mess she had made, and I couldn't deny that she looked like she was having fun when she was playing in here. That didn't mean I wanted her to keep doing it, but she seemed happy nonetheless.

I finished cleaning up after about half an hour. Since Jenny hadn't mixed any water or milk into her fun (thank Arceus for that) it was fairly easy to clean up. I was getting myself some coffee when Jenny perked up suddenly and shouted

"Daddy's home!" then she paused for a second and said

"Something's wrong, he's really sad."

I didn't doubt my daughter as I picked her up and took her to the living room, where I set her down so she could run and cheer up her father. That had never failed before when he came home depressed. The door opened slowly, almost forlornly, reflecting the mood Blade had on his face. I knew that something really bad had happened, but I couldn't figure out what. Jenny didn't run up to her father like she always did. Instead, she timidly approached him and asked

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

Blade looked at his daughter, and his face picked up for a second, but quickly fell back into misery.

"The world is what's wrong, pumpkin."

He bent to pick her up and carried her over to me, where we kissed. I could see his eyes were red, as if he had been crying recently.

"What's wrong, honey?" I asked him.

"He looked at me and said in a depressed voice

"Teams Aqua and Magma have risen again and corrupted Kyogre and Groudon. Arceus has given out the call to war. Every able-bodied male is to report to their city leader to march on to stop their plans."

I felt a sinking feeling that started from my heart and went all the way down to my feet.

"But… does that mean…?"

"Yes, I have to go."

I gently took Jenny from him, but he seemed reluctant to let go. I couldn't blame him, though.

"What about the females?"

"They're to stay in their cities and aid the war effort by making and sending supplies."

"Daddy, where are you going?" Jenny asked Blade, her voice trembling a little.

Blade looked up, and I could see the pain in his eyes from hearing her fear.

"I'm just going away for a while, sweetie. I have to go help Uncle Darkrai with something."

"Will you be back tonight, Daddy?"

I could almost hear his heart break at this question, and he said

"I don't think I'll be back tonight, honey. But don't worry, I'll come back."

"Promise me." Jenny said, holding out her pinkie to her father.

He smiled a sad smile, then locked his pinkie with hers and said

"I give you my word as a Gallade that I will return home."

Jenny withdrew her pinkie then and jumped to give her father one more hug.

"Goodbye, Daddy. I love you."

I could see Blade's composure breaking as he put his arms around her and say

"I love you, too."

He and I exchanged our last goodbyes before he went and picked something up from a cabinet, which I recognized as a locket that Jenny had given him. He hung it around his neck, then left his belt and hat behind as he left, giving us one more look before the door closed.

**Bwaah! God, my throat feels really tight right now. Send me some reviews and let me know what you thought. *sniff***


	30. Chapter 30

**Rag Doll, Chapter 30**

**Boy, I had a tough time recovering from that last chapter, but the show must go on, now more than ever! I'm going to pick up pretty much right after Blade leaves.**

Blade's POB

I was in danger of crying again as I closed the door behind me. I lifted the locket Jenny had given me a few months ago as a birthday present. I always cherished it, and I was glad I had put the pictures in a couple of days ago.

I opened it and saw two pictures, side-by-side. The one on the right was a picture of Rose and Jenny hugging. The one on the left was a picture of Jenny asleep with her doll from her mother, sucking on her little thumb. The photos made me smile despite the crushing sadness I was experiencing. I kept forcing my feet to move the entrance of the city, knowing the sooner I got this over with, the sooner I can get home. But it still wasn't easy.

When I got there, I could see that some of the other males were already there. I saw Stan, and I moved over to him and we embraced for a moment. I knew this was difficult for him too. Over the last five years, he and Sarah, the Lopunny he had been dating, got married about two years after Rose and I did. Only recently had they started on their family, though, so he was leaving her at six months pregnant. This was going to be the hardest thing we had ever done.

Soon the males started pouring in, and I could hear soft, strangled cries as they left their loved ones. Finally, everyone was gathered. Then Darkrai cleared his throat and said

"Thank you all for coming. As you should all be aware of right now, Kyogre and Groudon have been compromised by Team Aqua and Team Magma. Arceus has declared that we are in a state of war as of now. We are to march until we come across the portal which will take us to the Hoenn region. There we will fight with our lives _for _our lives. Cresselia will be staying here, so while we travel, when we make camp, I shall travel a safe distance away so you may sleep as peacefully as you can. Now let's move out!"

He began to lead the way, and everybody shuffled after him. Later he told us that it would at least be a three- to four week journey, as Palkia had to set a portal in a location that was beneficial to multiple marching armies. Hopefully we could make good time so we could all return safely, but we knew that wasn't likely. There was every possibility that one or more of us wouldn't return. It wasn't a pleasant prospect, which was why everybody was so reluctant to go. We made it into the forest by around noon, and we all stopped and turned to get one last look at our home. Then we continued marching.

We stopped for the night, and it turned out that the stronger of us, such as the Machoke and Machamp, had been carrying the food that we would be eating while we traveled. Everyone was expected to make do with the forest floor or the trees, or if you could make yourself a shelter, that was fine too. After dinner, Darkrai directed us to get some sleep since it would be a long day tomorrow. Then he flew off into the night to let us sleep.

I tapped Stan and pointed over to a tree, thinking he would be more comfortable as I would. He nodded and we walked over to it and picked our branches, then climbed our way up, helping each other. When we were settled, I pulled out my locket again and stared at the photos, hoping that would help me sleep.

"What's that?" Stan asked me.

I sent it over to him with psychic and he inspected it for himself. Then he tossed it back to me and said

"That's good; it'll probably help you keep your sanity in the weeks to come."

I nodded and we both turned over to sleep.

Rose's POV

After I put Jenny to bed, I heard a soft knocking at the door. When I opened it, Cressie stepped in; we looked at each other for a moment, and then broke down crying, holding on to each other, trying to help one another get over the pain.

"What am I going to do, Rose? If Darky… if he…"

"Don't think like that" I told her, my voice thick with emotion.

"Oh, I know I shouldn't but… I just can't help it…" she was crying silently now, and I could feel the tears running down my own face.

"Maybe you should stay here, at least for tonight."

She nodded sadly, and I brought out a blanket for her. She took the couch and wouldn't let me convince her otherwise. Finally I relented and left for my own bed, which I knew was going to be cold in the morning. When I got there, I couldn't hold out anymore. I had acted strong for Jenny, and had even managed it for Cressie, but after that I couldn't stand it anymore. I stumbled and fell to the bed, and when I reached the pillow, I let out my sadness, voicing the despair I felt, almost certain that Blade wouldn't come back to me. Eventually I managed to fall into a fitful sleep, filled with nightmares, but I knew these weren't the work of Darkrai.

Blade's POV

We woke up the next morning, still depressed. Stan and I jumped out of the tree and landed on the ground with our feet. We ambled over to the campfire where breakfast was being dished out. We got cold berries and some bread, along with a cup of water. It wasn't much, but it would fill our needs. Stan and I tossed down the meager breakfast, and then Darkrai appeared and told us to move on.

We walked for the entire day, and no one said anything. We didn't bother to stop for lunch; no one was hungry anyway. We might have come across the view of a few trainers, but our sheer size intimidated them, coupled with the fact that we were being led by the Prince of Nightmares and Darkness, so we weren't bothered at all. The next few nights passed by like the first one, Stan and I taking a tree and me staring at my photos in an attempt to sleep soundly. I wasn't sure how we would do in the oncoming battle, but I knew there were quite a few of us who weren't prepared for it. I ran this by Stan, who said

"I don't know, man. Maybe Darkrai's got something planned out for it, or else we're going to be slaughtered out there, and I don't think Arceus would do that to us. All we can do at this point is pray to him."

With that, we went to sleep, thinking about the loved ones who were surely waiting eagerly for us when we got home.

**One Month Later**

It took us longer than expected because Palkia had to move the portal. She came to us and spoke with Darkrai, telling him it had to be done because the two teams had discovered her portals. How, she knew not. But they had tried to use them in order to find more pokemon for their army. So she moved the portals to new locations. It wouldn't be as bad on our end; since the previous army had managed to beat us to it, she moved the portal closer to us. However, where it spit out would be farther than where it originally was from both the teams so they would have a harder time finding and using it. Darkrai thanked her for the information, then asked for its location. It was still another week from us, but after all this time, we had gained a new determination to see this through to the end.

It turned out that there had been a specific plan all along. We were to train with each other along the course of our journey, helping one another out along the way. If possible, we were to teach each other new moves so we would have a larger variety when the battle came. Stan had taught me Superpower, and I taught him Close Combat. They were both risky moves, as they would lower our stats, but they were powerful. We both said that they would be last resorts.

As we continued, I met some of the other males from the city. Some had wives and/or children, others had girlfriends, but many were loners. They weren't affected as much like those of us with ties, but that also meant they didn't really have anyone to remember them. It was pretty much a lose/lose for all of us.

When we were only a day from the portal, Stan and I had taken our usual perch, but this time he had something to say.

"Blade… you know we gotta be realistic here, right?"

I nodded.

"Then you know… that there's a chance one of us might not make it back."

I nodded again, my throat tightening up.

"Listen… if I don't make it… will you look after Sarah for me?"

I nodded, then added

"And if I don't make it…"

"I'll look after Rose and Jenny."

"Thank you… if I do fall, I want you to take my locket and give it to Jenny, okay? I want her to have something to remember me by."

He nodded and replied

"And if I fall, I want you to take this back to Sarah."

He tugged off his scarf that he had on, one that I had seen on him the day we left, but not one he wore to work. He held it out for my benefit and I studied it closely. It was something else, kind of a tie-dye scarf, but in the chaos of color, there was a picture that was barely discernible.

"It looks like… there's a picture in that scarf…"

"Yeah" Stan said, "We had this done on the day of the carnival, about two years ago. We went to a Smeargle art stand, and when he saw us together he shouted out, then dragged us over and begged us to stay. We consented, and he started by taking two Silk Scarves and splashing paint all over his tail, sometimes dipping it into another color. When he began painting, at first I thought it was all nonsense, but after he dried them off, he held one out to each of us and told us to look closely. Sarah saw it first, shouting about how he had drawn a Lucario in hers. I searched mine and found a Lopunny in it."

When I looked closer at the picture, I could see that there was indeed a Lopunny imprinted into the bloom of colors.

"Then the Smeargle nodded vigorously and said 'Yes, now if you must part, you will each have a piece of each other to remember by.' Then he begged us to accept them free of charge. At first I thought he was kind of crazy, but I agreed to do it. Now, I'm really glad he stopped us that day."

We sat there for a few moments, then my eyes caught sight of something dark floating toward us. I recognized it as Darkrai and said

"Hey Darkrai, how's it going?"

Stan jerked his head at the mention of Darkrai's name and focused on the shadow meeting up with us.

"Hey Blade, it's going okay, I guess, apart from being away from Cressie."

"I know how you feel, brother."

"Anyway, I heard you guys making a bro pact, and I wanted to see if I could get in on it."

Stan and I blinked at each other, then I turned back to Darkrai and said

"Of course. What is your request?"

"If I fall in battle, I want you to look after Cressie, but I suspect she won't live long without me. After what we've been through, she'll just want to join me. I would appreciate if you could keep her from doing so."

I nodded my consent, then asked

"Would you take care of Rose and Jenny if I fall?"

"Of course. Also, if you fall, I know that you want your locket returned to Jenny. If I fall but you make it, I would like you to return this to Cressie."

He unhooked a chain at the base of his neck and held up a small purple-pink plate attached to the chain.

"It's a mind plate. It boosts the power of psychic moves. Cressie gave it to me because I know a couple of psychic moves, and this would help me in battle. Will you return it to her if I fall?"

I nodded again.

"Thank you, Blade. Now I must leave, the men are preparing for bed and I don't wish to torture them."

And with that he flew off into the night, leaving feeling a bit more secure in the knowledge that we wouldn't be forgotten, by our friends or family.

Rose's POV

Over the next few weeks I had managed to get the crying out of my system, but the sadness still lingered. I wanted my husband back and my daughter wanted her father back. But there was nothing we could do but wait for their return. Along the month, we met the mate of Blade's close friend Stan, Sarah. She was a beautiful Lopunny who was seven months into her pregnancy now.

This was what I hated. Our men were taken away from their wives and children, torn apart from the families they were trying to make. Then they come back broken and helpless. Or not at all.

We didn't get anything yet, but word had been spread around that any woman whose husbands fell in battle would receive a notice saying they had fought bravely and there would be a lump sum for their loss. Of course, Cressie, Sarah and I found this to be insulting. What was a lump sum of money to our loving, caring, warm husbands? Still, we knew that the best we could hope for was to never see one of those slips.

Over the course of time, Jenny never forgot her father, but she didn't cry every night now the way she had when he left. Instead she went around saying

"He'll come back, I know he will. He pinkie promised me. He'll come back." She was the most optimistic child in her class so far, but I knew even that couldn't last forever. So I hoped beyond hope that Aqua and Magma would give up their crazy ideas and they could all leave and come home safely.

"_I need to stop living in my delusions"_ I told myself.

Still, I couldn't ignore the fact that I went to bed alone, without the warmth of my own husband to soothe me. But I was holding out, for now.

One day, though, I received an amazing surprise. I was waiting on Jenny at her school, and had been for the past half hour. Suddenly I heard

"Mommy, here I am!"

I turned but didn't see my little Ralts. Instead, I found a Kirlia running at me and waving. I didn't piece it together at first, but as she came up to me, I could see it in her eyes. My little girl evolved!

"Jenny?" I said, still unsure.

"What, don't you recognize your own daughter anymore?"

I quickly scooped her up and hugged her tightly, then began walking back to our house. I said to her

"Oh, wait until your father gets back and sees that you've evolved, after all he did pinkie promise you!"

She looked at me and said

"Mom, you don't have to hide anything from me anymore. We were studying about war today in history. I know that there are people who die, and something as trivial as a pinkie promise won't guarantee anyone's safe return. Once I realized that, then I evolved. So don't worry about me. I accept the fact that dad might not come back."

I looked at her and said

"Don't say that. Your father will return. We just have to believe in him, okay? I want him back just as much as you do. Let's just pray to Arceus for the safe return of at least your father and Darkrai. And for Stan. Sarah is just too young to be a lone mother."

With that, we went home to pray for the safety of the troops.

**Well, this was hard to write out. I didn't like putting things into this perspective, but let's face it, it's necessary. Still, I want to see some thoughts on this, so type up some reviews.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Rag Doll, Chapter 31**

**Okay, so I had to have someone point out the fact that I killed Stan, a Lucario, with a Poison Sting. Steel types aren't affected by poison. I literally facepalmed when I read that review. So, thank you valued reader, but I rather do not appreciate the tone you used. I am sorry for my lapse; it was an honest mistake on my part. If you do not like my story the way I interpreted it, you are not obligated to read it. So, I'll revise the piece and we'll see how it takes.**

Rose's POV

I knew the basis for Jenny's evolution, and that scared me. I didn't want her thinking that her father wasn't going to return. She had grown too quickly for my tastes; she wasn't even six yet, for Arceus's sake! But at least it was a relief not to have to worry about my façade anymore. But I still put on a strong face, even if she saw right through it. I still had to believe for myself.

Cressie and Sarah came over quite often, and we were constantly talking. Sometimes we drabbled into nonsense, but we kept it up because the only alternative was wondering how our mates were. Sarah was very close to having her child now, and she was leaving soon for the hospital for care since Stan wasn't around to help. But both Cressie and I told her that he would be back and she should stop worrying. We said much the same to each other about Darkrai and Blade.

Cressie knew that Darkrai had been in many battles before, even some wars, but not anything of this magnitude. When they both left, I went about my regular routine, cleaning and preparing dinner, and then I fetched Jenny from school. We ate and she bathed and went to bed. Then I took to my usual habit; I went outside to stare at the stars, and I prayed to Arceus. I didn't expect any visits from him, though. He was probably receiving prayers like mine on a regular basis. Then I slipped back inside and went to my cold, lonely bed to restart the vicious cycle the next day.

**Okay, I'll admit this isn't one of my better pieces with Rose, but the main focus is really going to be on Blade and his turmoil. That's coming up, so bear with me.**

Blade's POV

We made it to the portal, at last. It had been a grueling week, filled with close calls and small surprises. We managed to avoid large conflicts, but that was about to end. We were spit out in a desert, filled with flying sand. It was blessedly deserted, so we were safe for the moment.

"Alright, this is the desert of the Hoenn region" Darkrai called out, trying to be heard over the howling wind.

"Team Magma has their base set near Lavaridge town, which is about a few hours away. Thus far, they have a larger army, but not to the point that they're confident to march out. Team Aqua is currently residing in a cave off the coast of Lilycove. There are other teams assembling there and are waiting for the signal of attack. We're going to travel toward Lavaridge and meet up with our allies. Fortunately for us, Arceus managed to make contact with some humans who have dealt with them before, and they agreed to help our cause."

When Darkrai divulged this news, the troops began to cheer loudly. We hadn't been so confident ourselves that we could challenge the humans. Now that we had the help of other humans who were already experienced with them, our chances of winning increased.

"Let's move out!" Darkrai told us, waving us on. We traveled up and out of the desert to a route that was still fairly warm due to the nearby desert, although I later learned that wasn't the only culprit. Apparently Lavaridge sits beneath a volcano, although it's still being debated whether or not it's active or dormant. This volcano has been named Mt. Chimney, and it is at the base that we are supposed to meet with our allies who were already from the Hoenn region. I knew they would have the home advantage. Then again, so would Team Magma.

We hid in the verdant forests that lined this route, being cautious about signs of trainers and other pokemon. Stan and I were having a conversation along the way.

"So, what do you think we'll be up against?" he asked me.

I shook my head and replied

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that we'll be seeing enemies originating from this region. That, or else pokemon transported here. What really concerns me is the fact that this Team has set up a base between an active town and a possibly active volcano. That makes very little sense to me."

Stan thought for a couple of minutes, then said

"Maybe it's a mind game on their part. Hide where your enemy would last expect you, or wouldn't want to go. Who knows?"

I grunted and the conversation ended there.

After about another hour, we finally met up with our allies. They were being led by Latios, who was a strange sight to my eyes. He seemed roughly the same size as Darkrai, but he was mostly blue and white. He had a red triangle on his chest and seemed to exude confidence, tinged by arrogance. Darkrai flew up to meet him, and they addressed the gathered pokemon before them.

"Alright," started Darkrai "We have finally met up with our allies. Now that our forces are combined, we can attack the Magma scum who would destroy our way of life! I'll allow Latios to fill you in on some details."

Latios bowed his head to Darkrai and said

"Thank you. Now then, we have been spying on Magma for a couple of weeks now. We know that their numbers are growing daily. We believe that some of their numbers come from the other regions, as the pokemon and people do not appear indigenous to this land. You will easily notice the grunts; they will be wearing strange red clothing, generally pants for males and skirts for the females. They will all be wearing the same red hoodie, with the hood pulled up. Arceus decided a while back that this maneuver would work best if our army split into two factions and simultaneously attacked Teams Aqua and Magma. Currently we are waiting for the other faction to get into position. Once Arceus sends the signal, we attack. So I suggest you all take small meals and try to rest up, but spend the time reviewing the moves you can utilize. Stay close to any friends you have, because no one should go in alone. As for the enemy, the pokemon they have recruited or forced into submission will be easily distinguished by a marking, either on their chests or foreheads, wherever it will be most visible, of a red volcano with a large indent in the top center. Easy enough to remember."

With that, he departed. Then the rest of us began to congregate in order to receive our meal. Then Stan and I took to a tree so as to relax before the ensuing battle. We both meditated for a brief period of time, but we couldn't do it extensively. Then we reviewed our moves. At that point, we had nothing else to do, so Stan studied the Lopunny imprint on his scarf and I stared at the photos within my silver locket. I wondered how Rose was feeling right now. There was a decent chance that she was worried, sad obviously. Was she feeling resigned, as if prepared for the worst? Part of me hoped she wasn't, and the other half of me begged that she was. And what about Jenny? It's been about two and a half months now; what was my only daughter feeling right now?

Unable to handle these thoughts, I closed the locket and my eyes, and imagined my family, together and happy. These thoughts made me smile, so I tried to hang on to them. But then I noticed something, something odd. There were heightened emotions, but not from our camp. They were coming from the mountain before us. I opened my eyes and looked at the mountain and caught Stan doing the same. We both looked at each other and I asked

"Do you feel that, too?"

He nodded and said

"We should report to Darkrai and Latios."

We jumped down from our position in our tree and closed our eyes simultaneously. When we opened our eyes again, we both pointed in the same direction and shouted

"That way!"

Then we stared at each other in amused surprise.

"How did you figure it out?" I asked.

"Legends give off stronger aura than most, and I was able to sense two strong auras within the same proximity. How did you find him?"

"Latios is a psychic type, and as a legend he'll have a stronger psychic signature than all others. Of course, he would have nothing on Mew. Anyway, let's go warn them."

We both took off for Latios and Darkrai. We found them in a tent with a few other generals planning out their course of attack on a map that was zoomed in on a certain point, our location I assumed. We burst in panting since we believed our news to be of vital importance.

"Blade, Stan, what are you doing here? This is a war meeting" Darkrai stated.

"Yes, explain yourselves. You do not have access to these sorts of things unless under superficial circumstances" Latios said severely.

Regaining my breath, I said

"We believe the enemy is on the move."

"What?" asked Latios, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Stan had recovered his breath and replied

"We were meditating in a tree, trying to calm ourselves. Then we felt fluctuations in emotion from a massive group up on the mountain. These emotions proved to be powerful, but of varying types. We believed that the enemy is moving in on us because these emotions were closer to the troops than they ought to be."

Latios closed his eyes for a moment, and I could feel his psychic energies spike in intensity as he attempted to deny our claims. But when he opened his eyes again, he paled and said

"Arceus help us, they're almost upon us! Everyone, battle stations!"

Everyone flew out the door except for Stan, me and Latios. He was almost out the door, but he paused, then turned to us and said

"You have just done this army a great service. When this fight is over, I would like to speak to the both of you. For now, join your ranks."

Then we all left the tent, Stan and I running to join our troop, which was mostly consisted of those of us who had loved ones waiting at home for us, including Darkrai. We set ourselves in a clump of trees, meant to be the front lines, since we were more likely to fight cautiously but like mad dogs. I suppose the reasoning behind it was we all thought that if we did not defeat them, they would wreak havoc on our fair city, causing harm to our loved ones. This, in fact, was my mind-set; if we did not eliminate them, here and now, then they would hurt the ones I cared about. I wasn't about to let that happen.

We could see them, they all had the distinct mark of a volcano on them. They came in all sorts, mostly Cacnea and Cacturne, Sandshrew and Sandslash, but there were also Camerupt among them. We waited until the first wave was about twenty feet away, then I fired a Psycho cut, Stan shot an Aura Sphere, and Darkrai let loose a Dark Pulse. Darkrai was able to channel his energy into a continuous stream, I was firing Psycho cuts and Shadow Balls, and Stan was holding off pretty well by using both hands to use Aura Sphere.

Attacks were shot back at us, mostly from the waves in front of us, but some seemed to come from other directions. As I ducked behind a tree to catch my breath, I caught a glimpse of something gray and white flash by. I paused a moment, then closed my eyes and channeled my psychic energies. When I realized what was happening, I cursed loudly and jumped up to join my friends to explain my findings.

"They've got aerial advantage!" I told them.

"What?" Darkrai asked.

"There are several Swellows flying around behind us. Any attacks we dodge from the main wave can be sent right back to us, I assume by using Gust!"

Darkrai cursed himself, then directed several other soldiers behind them.

"We'll have to let them take care of the Swellows, we need to focus on the advance!"

Stan and I nodded, then went back to firing our attacks at the oncoming troop.

After about ten minutes, all the pokemon before us lay dead or dying. Unused to such a sight, I stared for I don't know how long, but suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I ran over to the edge of the forest and vomited my meager lunch. My stomach kept heaving until I was sure there was absolutely nothing left. Then I straightened up shakily, and Stan was at my side.

"Not accustomed to such sights?" he asked me gently.

I shook my head, not trusting my mouth at the moment.

"Yeah, it happens to the best of us" Darkrai said, floating towards us.

"C'mon, we should head back."

We all started walking back to the camp, but Stan suddenly froze and said

"Wait. We missed one. No, actually two."

"Where are they?" asked Darkrai.

Stan pivoted his head to and fro, unable to decide.

"I don't know! It's like… they're all over the place!"

All of a sudden, we heard crashing foliage behind us. As we turned, a Swellow burst out of the tree line, carrying a Cacnea. Right as we finished turning, the Cacnea fired a Pin Missile, directly at Stan. The Swellow beat his wings and made a Gust that increased the speed of the deadly attack to impossible velocity. I watched in horror, knowing I couldn't stop them; I tried to push Stan out of the way, but I wasn't fast enough. I watched as I saw the glowing darts pierce his chest, some going completely through his back.

I caught my friend as he fell. After launching their attack, the Swellow flew off, still holding on to the Cacnea. I watched them leave, then turned my attention back to Stan. Even now I could see that his blood was pushing through his wounds, and that no matter if I used Recover, it wouldn't be enough. The darts had managed to pierce his heart.

"Stan…"

He looked at me, his eyes glazing over, and he said one last thing to me.

"Don't forget… your promise…"

Then he breathed his last and his form fell limp in my arms.

"Stan… no, no! Come on man, wake up already!"

Darkrai floated over to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said

"It's too late Blade… he's gone."

I looked up at him in disbelief, then back at Stan's body. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, even if I wanted to. I had just lost my friend, my partner. It couldn't be, it just couldn't!

Finally my strength failed me completely, and I began sobbing. Darkrai wasn't sobbing himself, but as he stared down at Stan's prone form, silent tears were spilling from his eyes.

"Who will miss him?" Darkrai asked me.

Barely gaining control over myself, I responded

"Those of us from the precinct, and his wife. The worst part is, he won't even get to know his child!" I shouted out at the sky, unable to bear the grief of it. Darkrai turned his head away, more tears being shed from his eyes. Then he turned back and said

"You do remember your promise to him, right?"

I nodded my head, then with clumsy fingers began to untie his scarf from around his neck. Amazingly, no blood had stained it. That was good, or else I wouldn't be able to return it. I tied the scarf around my own neck, refusing to take it off until I gave it back to Sarah. Then I picked up Stan's body, and without a word, Darkrai and I made our way back to camp.

Rose's POV

Cressie and I were talking about Sarah's and Stan's new child, he had been born just last week! He was a little Riolu with the biggest eyes I have ever seen. We simply couldn't stop saying how cute he was, the little darling! Sarah never hesitated to bring him to our afternoon gatherings. This was our way of coping with the absence of our husbands. We would get together every day and have some coffee or tea and talk about miscellaneous things, such as the weather. This day was somewhat different, though. Something was off, made both Cressie and I uneasy. The sun was out, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Nevertheless, there was a feeling of gloom. Moreover, Sarah was late. Of course, she did have a new child. But both Cressie and I have clearly stated that we would be more than happy to help her. She insists that she can handle being a mother. Plus, she strongly believed that Stan would return to her, then he could proudly see his child.

There was a loud, sudden pounding on the door, frantic. I jumped and ran to the door and flung it open. I saw Sarah standing there, leaning heavily against the doorframe, despair in her red eyes.

"Sarah, what's…?" I started to ask, but then I saw something crumpled in her hand. She glanced down at it, then averted her gaze and held it up, fresh tears pouring down her face. I gently extricated it from her hand, and it proved to be a yellow piece of paper. I could see the first words on it…

"Dear spouse of Soldier Stanley Ramirez, we regret to inform you that Soldier Stanley Ramirez was killed in action. For your troubles, we will be sending you a sum equal to the amount of…" I couldn't read any further. I looked at Sarah, who was sobbing heavily, and opened my arms to her. She immediately jumped and broke down completely in my arms. She was having a complete and total meltdown I couldn't blame her in the slightest. Cressie rose up sadly and walked over to us. Her hand rose up and glowed white. She put her hand against the back of Sarah's head and Sarah fell limp in my arms.

"What did you do to her?" I asked as I gently laid her on the floor.

Cressie smiled sadly, then replied in a hushed voice

"I blessed her with escape. She is asleep right now. Move aside."

I moved away from Sarah, who was tossing and turning in her nightmare. Cressie knelt down beside her and crossed her hands. She laid them on her forehead. Her eyes flashed, then her hands, and at last Sarah stopped flinging herself around and laid still, her tortured expression changing to one of sweet repose.

"There. Now she won't suffer as much. But that won't help her when she wakes. We must help her through this dark time, or else she won't survive, and her child needs at least his mother."

Cressie turned her eyes down, knowing this wouldn't be an easy task. I did the same, tears flowing freely down my face. I could only imagine how she was suffering, but I knew that if I got the same letter for Blade, I wouldn't be able to live for anything except my daughter, but even then with difficulty. I would have to pray harder than ever to Arceus for Blade's safety.

**Well, that was a sad chapter to write out. If it didn't turn out quite well, tell me and I'll try to rewrite it for you. I can't guarantee anything for you, though. And no, I will not rewrite it to the point where Stan lives. His death is necessary for the plot, little though I like it. Believe it or not, I love all my characters (except for the villains, of course, I'm not a big fan of evil). At any rate, review and let me know what you think.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Rag Doll, Chapter 32**

**Well, here we are again. I'm trying to really develop this story, but unfortunately, it must come to a close soon. I'm going to do another time skip or two in here, but we'll see how it turns out. By the way, I'm not really a religious person here, but I think it would be in everybody's best interest if we were all to take a moment to pray for the families of the children and men and women who were killed in the recent Connecticut elementary school murder. Thank you. **

Blade's POV

The next eight months were hell. We experienced similar battles to the one we first had with Team Magma and of course there were casualties. This _was _war, after all. Not everyone skips their way home merrily. And after I watched Stan die in my arms, I was never quite the same, that much I could tell. It used to be I could look at the photos of Jenny and Rose in my locket and I would be able to sleep peacefully. But not anymore. Now every night I just wished that my torture would end, one way or another. Then I would catch myself and say

"I must get back home. My wife needs her husband, my daughter needs her father, and I need them both, so badly right now. And I have a promise to fulfill to Stan, to look after Sarah and their child. I must get through this; I must survive."

And I did, but painfully. Almost every day now involved at least two battles. Team Magma was far larger than I had first taken. And by the news we received, the faction fighting against Team Aqua was faring the same as us. At least Darkrai was still kicking, otherwise I would lose it. I had later learned that Drake had joined in the fray with us before, but during the last battle he was hit with a Blast Burn from a Team Magma Blaziken that managed to take out several more of my allies in the process.

Kind, enigmatic Drake, gone. The first friend Rose and I had made since we left the society, who cared for us, helped us, and even shared his dark story with us. I was praying every night now for a speedy end to this war, and to survive so I could at least see my beautiful wife and child. Suddenly, I heard the call for attention, and I figured it was some more news about the other faction and their progress against Team Aqua. We gathered in the clearing on Mt. Chimney, since we managed to take the top of it. We were descending slowly, taking down grunts and the Magma army as we went. Sometimes we even caught a glimpse of an Admin, which was surprising. Usually, they were holed up in their hideout, observing things from there. We all arrived and waited. Finally, Darkrai and Latios walked to the middle of the platform that was set up so they could be seen. This was a matter that I had debated with Darkrai over; couldn't they levitate? But Darkrai avoided the matter, and eventually I just let it drop.

"Thank you. Now then," Latios started "We have received heartening news as of late. The current situation regarding the other faction pitted against Aqua is progressing at a rapid rate. They have infiltrated the Aqua's base. Given that their defenses are not as well prepared as Magma's, this is to be expected. Further, the humans have decided that since the Aqua faction's mission is going well, the main of their force is being directed to help us."

As he finished this statement, my fellow troops looked at each other in astonishment. What exactly did that mean for us?  
"With this help, the threat of Magma will be subdued ahead of schedule. They will not be joining us directly. Instead they are directly attacking the Admins, and even the boss. This means that the chances of us being subdued by means of human technology are substantially reduced. With this help, we can put the last of the Magma forces down for good, and then we may return home."

Everyone began cheering loudly, ecstatic at the prospects of going home. Finally, I could see Rose and Jenny, and Cresselia. I could return to the force, my calling. This horrific nightmare would finally be at an end.

"For now, your orders are to return to your beds, or what have you, and rest up for the final battle tomorrow. It will be the end of Magma, the end of this war, and the beginning of peace once again."

In high spirits, everyone returned to their "quarters". I went back to my tree, and when I settled into my branch, I let the tears of joy flow free. Wiping my eyes ten minutes later so I could see, I reached for my locket and popped it open. I knew I would be able to sleep soundly tonight, since I would refuse to fall tomorrow and return home in relative safety. Gently closing my locket and hanging back around my neck, I sat back against the cool trunk and rested my eyes, imagining the happiness that would follow tomorrow's victory.

"Good night, Rose. Good night, Jenny. Soon, we will be back, and our family will be whole once more."

Then I relaxed my body, and sleep followed shortly after.

Rose's POV

Things had been rough on us, considering that Sarah wasn't feeling in top shape. We managed to convince her to keep going, to raise her child, and to provide him with the care and attention he needed. Once she finally shaped up, she was almost normal, but there was a lingering sadness over her that never seemed to completely disappear.

Nevertheless, Cressie and I were in very high spirits. When Sarah wasn't around, Arceus popped in for a visit himself. He reported to us that the fighting was almost over; there were only a few more battles to go. He also let us know that Darkrai and Blade were still alive. This did more for Cressie and me in one night than we have been for this entire time. We asked why he hadn't told us earlier so our burdens could have been eased. His response sobered us up pretty well.

"How would you feel if I told you they were still alive, then only a couple days later, you receive notes saying they had fought bravely but fell in the line of duty? I chose to reveal this now because the fighting is very well over, there is only one last battle for them to face. I cannot guarantee their safety in this last brawl, but I do know that they have vowed to survive so they may return to you. It will take a while for them, and what's left of their faction, to return. But I promise that when they do, you two will be more helpful to them than you could possibly imagine."

With that, Arceus left us with his report, making us feel more relieved than we have in a while. Cressie insisted that she return home so she could make things more presentable for Darkrai when he returned. I decided to do the same for Blade. But this meant that I had to have a small chat with Jenny. I didn't want Blade to know that she only evolved because she accepted that she might lose her father.

Blade's POV

When we woke up, we all were anxious to get the last battle out of the way. We ate a small breakfast so as not to slow ourselves down when the fighting ensued. When we finished breakfast, the troops took to the tree line and set out for the Magma base. I was teamed up with Darkrai and two more pokemon, a Machamp and an Alakazam. We were one of the front-liners since we were the more experienced battlers. Latios was staying behind to plan the strategy. As we had learned before, war can have many turning points, and Latios had a knack for choosing the best way to deal with any sudden change.

We crept along, keeping alert for any sudden changes. I had a direct psychic link with Latios. It didn't really make either of us happy, but I realized it was necessary. So we kept in touch while we were stalking. It was understood that I wouldn't be able to keep up the link while I was in the middle of fighting, but hopefully I would only have to fight for a short time.

Finally, we reached the Magma's base. It really didn't take long to get there, but we were trying to be extra sneaky so as to catch them by surprise. It seemed that the humans had done their job well. When we arrived, there was a severe shortage of grunts, which made it far easier to beat them. Their pokemon army was drastically reduced, thanks to our efforts on the battlefield. It was easy to see that this wouldn't last long. But in my mind, it would still be too long.

Soon we were engrossed into the fight, one that was different from the rest. These pokemon who had willingly joined were fighting rather desperately. They knew they were Magma's last line of defense; if they failed, Magma would be through. So they fought bravely, but it was all in vain. We managed to destroy them, the final line before we could take the boss. Suddenly I heard Latios back inside my head saying

"_Let the troops know they can leave now. The humans defeated the boss, who wasn't in that base in the first place, and he has officially declared Team Magma disbanded."_

"_What about Aqua? What is the news on that?" _I asked.

"_Funny thing you should ask," _answered Latios_ "There was apparently a truce going on between the two leaders. Evidently, the Hoenn League got caught up in this affair, and they decided to intervene. Both teams are disbanded, so everyone is now preparing to go home. I'll see you back at the camp" _Latios said, ending the contact. Darkrai noticed my posture for a while, but waited until I was finished before asking

"So, what's the news?"

Looking up, I said excitedly

"Both Aqua and Magma have been disbanded! Apparently, the Hoenn League got involved, and today both of the bosses have agreed on a truce. They gave up the Red and Blue Orbs. Now we can leave this hell-hole and go home. We can return to Cresselia and Rose."

Darkrai's eyes shone with tears, but they were tears of joy. We went back to camp, and then waited for Palkia. She was going to the trouble of returning foreign members back to their original cities, or at least close to them. First, though, we received a visit from Arceus, who thanked us for our brave and valiant efforts to rid the land of the threats that would have consumed the world if not stopped. Then Palkia opened a pink and black portal, but I didn't recognize the area. A group of pokemon I didn't know very well stepped up and disappeared. Then Palkia closed the portal and opened a new one. This I recognized. It was Dream City, in all of its glory, and all of the happy memories returned to me as I beheld its image.

The group that came from Dream City, including Darkrai, stood and entered it. After a brief spell of disorientation, my feet came to rest on a spot I recognized. It was different due to time, but the placing hadn't changed. This was where Rose collapsed after running to the city in her excitement, and the place where I promised her we would start the family she so wanted. The memory brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn't hold out anymore, I ran toward the city. I kept going, not wanting to stop, or even slow down until I reached the mouth of the city, where all my happiness lay. I could tell I wasn't the only one. I heard a multitude of cheers behind me, and even the sound of others running behind me.

When we reached the mouth of the city, we all stopped to look briefly inside, now filled with some trepidation. The city hadn't changed at all, but we had. Drastically. Would they even recognize us anymore? Then I put my fears aside and stepped in, soon followed by my comrades.

Rose's POV

The day for the return of the troops had finally arrived. They weren't expected until around midday, and school had been canceled for the day so children could see the return of their fathers, if they had survived, that is. But since Arceus hadn't given me news about either Blade surviving or dying, I assumed he survived and would be returning to us shortly. Jenny and I eagerly inspected the house, making sure nothing was out of place. Then we made a big lunch to welcome Blade when he returned home. When it was about eleven-thirty, Jenny and I had made the final preparations, and then we left the house, making sure the door was closed tight. Cressie was waiting for us outside, eager as us for the return of our city's proud husbands and fathers.

Upon arriving, we saw no one yet. Then again, we still had about ten minutes before they were to arrive. Cressie and I began some light conversations, and Jenny sometimes joined in, but for the most part she kept to herself and intently watched the gates of the city.

After about five minutes, we heard faint cheering, and about thirty seconds later the sound of multiple footfalls. Cressie and I slowly stood, believing these sounds only meant one thing. Then we saw them. We saw the men stop at the gate and gaze upon the city that they had surely missed for the past year. Then a lone figure took the first step, and I recognized the figure as my husband. Jenny yanked her hand out of mine and ran pell-mell at her father. The tears came to my eyes before I could stop them, and when I turned to look at Cressie, I saw the same was true for her. We slowly followed my daughter, happiness infusing us with every step we took, glad that this nightmare was over at last.

Blade's POV

I only took a few steps into the city when I heard a little girl's voice shout out

"Daddy!"

I quickly turned and saw a little Kirlia running right at me. I didn't even question whether or not she was my daughter; I knew she was. At the same time, I was sad that I had missed the day of my daughter's evolution, but I would make up for that. I knelt down and opened my arms to her, and when she was still five feet away, she jumped and landed right in my arms. We embraced each other strongly, putting all of our pain into the hug, all the regrets we had about the circumstances. Then I stood gently, still carrying her within my hug. I could hear her silently sobbing, and I knew that I was doing the same. Then I heard another voice call out to me.

"Blade!"

Upon looking up, I could see my beautiful wife walking up to me, alongside Cresselia. Both had tears streaming down their faces, and I walked forward to meet them. Then Darkrai came up beside me, and he draped an arm over my shoulder. We continued on until we met up with Rose and Cresselia, and without a word, we pulled each other into a group hug. We remained like this for about ten minutes, and when we finally broke apart, Rose and I kissed, which brought back all the extraordinary pleasures in my mind, and I felt that I could have lived like this forever. When we broke apart, Rose looked me up and down, then asked

"Where did you get the scarf?"

Setting Jenny down, I gently tugged the scarf off my neck and replied

"It was Stan's. About a week after we left, we made a bro pact for our belongings to be returned to our loved ones should the worst happen. I promised him that I would return this scarf to Sarah if he fell in battle. I want to also give her my condolences, but I'm not sure how it would work out."

"Well, I'll accept both, if you feel it necessary" a soft voice told me.

I whirled around and was faced with a Lopunny who was holding a young Riolu in her arms. After a second, I recognized her.

"Sarah" I said, my breath catching in my throat.

She nodded sadly, and seemed to expect something of me. Walking slowly up to her, I held out Stan's scarf and said

"Stan asked me… if he were to fall, he wanted me to return this to you. He told me the story behind it. I am very sorry. I wish I could have gotten there sooner, but I was just too late."

We both had tears in our eyes, then she gently took the scarf from my hands and held it to her face, the tears escaping. Then she looked up at me and said only two words before turning and leaving.

"Thank you."

Then we finally went home ourselves and enjoyed a big meal, which I haven't had in so long. Soon we all fell to talking, mostly Cresselia and Rose telling us about events while we were gone. Eventually, night came. Cresselia and Darkrai left for their own homes, and after putting Jenny to bed, Rose and I slowly made our way up to our bedroom, Rose telling me with her mind how lonely she had been without me. We were all emotionally drained, so we fell asleep very quickly.

**Several hours later.**

BAM!

The sound woke me suddenly, and I could see myself in the middle of a battle, one to the death between me and the Magma's. I guess I had been knocked unconscious for a short time, but I was fully awake now. I jumped up and drew my blades, ready for any onslaught. I quickly charged and fired a Psycho Cut, creating a large crashing sound.

"Blade, what are you doing?!" I could hear a strange, somewhat feminine voice scream behind me.

I turned to look at the owner of the voice, but my vision was a bit blurry. The form of the speaker wasn't fully focused, but that didn't matter right now. I quickly said

"Come on, get up! The Magma scum will be here any second, we need to move now!"

"Blade, what are you talking about?! Team Magma isn't here!"

I scoffed, the turned and readied another Psycho Cut to strike the enemy that my comrade couldn't see. I couldn't see them much either, but I knew they were around. I felt a presence in my mind, and I thought it was Latios. I shouted

"_Hurry, send reinforcements! I think they've penetrated the front guard!"_

The presence disappeared from my mind, then the blurry figure jumped and ran up to me. The figure grabbed me by the head and softly said

"Come back to me, Blade. Please."

Then I felt a kiss on my lips, and I was disoriented for a second. I broke away and violently shook my head, and the field finally came into focus. It was actually a room… my room. And the figure that had been blurry before fully materialized into my wife. I stood there, stunned for a second, then asked Rose

"What happened? Where am I?"

Rose's POV

I went to bed for the first time in a year, warmed by the presence of my husband. I had gently fallen asleep, thinking of all the things we could enjoy tomorrow, now that we were back together at last. Several hours later though, I was woken suddenly by the sounds of something crashing and breaking. I jolted up, looking at the clock, which said almost two in the morning. I looked over at where Blade was and realized he was standing, and had even fired an attack at a dresser, splintering it apart.

"Blade, what are you doing?!" I shouted at him. He turned to me and squinted for a second, then said

"Come on, get up! The Magma scum will be here any second, we need to move now!"

Confused, I asked

"Blade, what are you talking about?! Team Magma isn't here!"

He scoffed and turned his back to me. His right blade began to glow purple, and I recognized it as a Psycho Cut. I quickly delved into his mind to figure out what was going on. When I opened my mind's eye, I could see he was in a completely different world. Then I heard him shout at me

"_Hurry, send reinforcements! I think they've penetrated the front guard!"_

Then I knew he was suffering, but from what I couldn't tell. I jumped up and ran over to him, grabbed his head and softly said

"Come back to me, Blade. Please."

Then I kissed him, hoping to break whatever spell he was under. He jerked back and shook his head violently. Then he focused on me and asked

"What happened? Where am I?"

We later learned that Blade was suffering from a condition known as Post-Traumatic War Syndrome, more commonly known as Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Blade was broken on the inside. Now he would suffer from horrible nightmares every night, and not even Cressie's abilities could counter it. She had never understood why this was the case, but she had sadly informed us that there was nothing she could do beyond her normal powers, which didn't make a dent in Blade's horrific nightmares. But he vowed that he would see things through to the end. Our little daughter grew up into a beautiful Gardevoir, found a mate and left the house, which left me with Empty Nest Syndrome. But no matter what we would suffer, Blade and I promised each other that we could, we would, get through it together.

**Okay, and with that, I hereby end this story. I felt that it had been dragging on long enough, plus I have request to continue my other story, The Absol's Curse. Please tell me what you thought of this final chapter, and I hope to see you all for my next story!**


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